Four years ago, Amazon started to wonder what would a grocery store look like if people could walk in, grab what they wanted and just go? What would happen if they could weave the most advanced machine learning, artificial intelligence and computer vision into the fabric of a store so that shoppers never had to wait in line?
This is exactly what Amazon achieved with their first Amazon Go store, which was launched in Seattle in 2019. There are no lines and no cashiers.
How Does it Work?
Shoppers need to download the Amazon Go app and scan their phones on the way into the store. Then they can put away their phones and start shopping. Anything that is picked up is automatically added to the virtual shopping cart on the Amazon Go app. If you change your mind, all you have to do is put it back and the technology will update the virtual cart automatically. Once you have everything you want or need, you can just walk out. Everything will be added up and charged to your Amazon account.
Amazon used sensor fusion, deep learning algorithms and computer vision that is similar to that found in self-driving cars for their first Amazon Go store. They call it ‘just walk out technology’. If brick and mortar shopping is getting this easy and seamless, consider what the future will hold for people looking to use mobile marketing to target shoppers in specific locations.
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