Amazon is phasing out its checkout-less grocery stores equipped with “Just Walk Out” technology and shifting towards more reliable solutions like Dash Carts and self-checkout counters.
Wait, what was Just Walk Out? It was a technology introduced by Amazon in 2016 for its grocery stores. It allowed customers to shop without the need to go through a traditional checkout process. Instead, customers could scan a QR code upon entering the store, and sensors and cameras would track the items they picked up. Payment was automatically processed as customers left the store, eliminating the need for waiting in lines or scanning items at a checkout counter.
It sounds good! So, why is Amazon retiring Just Walk Out technology?
Despite initial promises of automation, Just Walk Out relied heavily on human intervention, leading to delays and operational complexities. Here are just some of the problems that Amazon experienced with the Just Walk Out technology.
- Too complicated: Just Walk Out was supposed to be easy, but it ended up being quite complex. It needed lots of people offsite to make sure everything was working right, which made things more difficult and costly.
- Needed human help: Instead of being fully automated, Just Walk Out often needed people to check and confirm purchases. This slowed things down and sometimes meant customers didn’t get their receipts on time.
- Costly: Setting up and running Just Walk Out in stores cost Amazon a lot of money. Having to pay people to watch videos and manage the system added to the expenses.
- Didn’t work as planned: Just Walk Out didn’t always meet Amazon’s goals. Many purchases still needed human checks, which wasn’t what Amazon had hoped for.
Amazon is now focusing on other ways to improve the shopping experience, like Dash Carts and self-checkout counters. These alternatives are simpler, cheaper, and more reliable.
In short, Amazon is saying goodbye to Just Walk Out because it was too complicated, expensive, and didn’t work as well as they wanted. They’re moving on to simpler and more efficient ways to make shopping easier for everyone.
While it will be discontinued in most Amazon Fresh stores in the US, it will continue in select locations and Amazon Go convenience stores.
Featured image credit: Jack Sparrow/Pexels
