Amazon is reportedly phasing out its ‘Just Walk Out’ technology in its grocery stores, a feature that allowed customers to skip the checkout process. The technology, which was first introduced in 2016, relied on cameras and sensors to track what items customers were leaving the store with. It was seen as a significant innovation in grocery shopping at the time.
However, the technology was not without its issues. It often took hours for customers to receive receipts after leaving the store, largely because offshore cashiers were rewatching videos and assigning items to different customers. The system of scanners and video cameras in each store was also incredibly expensive. According to reports, 700 out of 1,000 ‘Just Walk Out’ sales required human reviewers as of 2022, widely missing Amazon’s internal goals.
Now, Amazon is moving towards Dash Carts, a scanner and screen embedded in the shopping cart, allowing customers to checkout as they shop. These offer a more reliable solution than ‘Just Walk Out’. Amazon Fresh stores will also feature self-checkout counters from now on, for people who aren’t Amazon members. Amazon confirmed this feature is replacing its ‘Just Walk Out’ technology in existing stores.
Despite the phase-out, ‘Just Walk Out’ technology will continue to be offered in a small number of Fresh stores in the United Kingdom, and some of Amazon’s Go convenience stores.
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