Amazon Go Grocery expands checkout-free shopping to supermarket concept

Taking its Amazon Go “Just Walk Out” retail technology to the next level, Amazon on Tuesday opened its first Amazon Go Grocery in its hometown of Seattle.

The newest concept from Amazon is a small-format supermarket offering fresh meat and produce, local favorites, ready-to-go meals and traditional groceries to shoppers with the cashierless convenience the company created for its Amazon Go grab-and-go stores.

Located in the Capitol Hill district of the city, the 10,400-square-foot store is more than four times the size of the largest Amazon Go stores (stores range from 450 square feet to 2,700 square feet front of house), but far smaller than the average 50,000-square-foot supermarket.

The 25 smaller Go stores are currently in areas including Seattle, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. 

Amazon Go Grocery is a small-format supermarket offering fresh meat and produce, local favorites, ready-to-go meals and traditional groceries.

Amazon Go Grocery uses the same technology as those stores: an array of cameras and sensors that detect which products customers pick up off the shelves. Customers scan a code from the Amazon Go app when entering the store, shop and then walk out as the app charges their credit cards and sends a receipt.

However, in an interview with The Verge, Dilip Kumar, Amazon’s vice president of physical retail and technology, noted, “This is not a bigger Amazon Go store. It’s a separate format. We worked backwards from what constitutes a neighborhood grocery store.” For instance, he noted, “We have a section for pet food, household items, health and personal care, oral care, skin care.”

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Nor is it intended to be competitive with Whole Foods, Kumar told The Verge.

“Customers shop in many different ways, in many different locations. Sometimes you want it to be delivered, sometimes you go to the store, sometimes you go to Whole Foods. Our job is to be able to figure out how to add value.

“Because the customer has different needs... and different things that they look for at different stores, what is it we can we do here in this type of format in this neighborhood to add value? That to me is the selection we carry, the pricing we have — plus the convenience of just being able to walk out.”

Amazon Go Grocery carries an array of fresh fruits and vegetables that change with the seasons, and a selection of quality beef, pork, poultry and seafood.

According to the company, Amazon Go Grocery shoppers will find everyday ingredients and essentials on their shopping list, along with ready-made meals to help make dinner tonight easier. The store carries an array of fresh fruits and vegetables that change with the seasons, and a selection of quality beef, pork, poultry and seafood. The store’s selection of local artisan breads, cheese and baked goods comes from some of the best local kitchens and bakeries daily from around the city and region. Shoppers will also find ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals for dinner and a great selection of beer, wine and spirits, and much more. Amazon Go Grocery offers a mix of organic and conventional items from well-known brands, along with special finds and local favorites including La Parisienne, Donut Factory, Tony’s Coffee and Seattle Bagel Bakery.

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