Amazon is stepping back from one of its most ambitious innovations. According to reports, the e-commerce giant is phasing out Just Walk Out technology from its Amazon Fresh stores, which allowed customers to skip the traditional checkout process. Instead, Amazon is opting to replace it with a new AI shopping method.
Just Walk Out technology, introduced in 2016, allowed people to scan a card upon entering the store. Then, an advanced system of cameras and sensors tracked the products people grabbed from the shelves and took out of the stores and automatically charged them to the card they had scanned at the beginning.
Behind this apparent automation, however, was a human team of more than 1,000 people in India tasked with viewing and tagging videos to ensure accurate payments. In fact, according to a report by The Information, 700 out of every 1,000 Just Walk Out sales required human reviewers as of 2022.
In addition, the system faced significant challenges. Customers often experienced delays in receiving receipts, as human reviewers had to recheck videos and assign items.
Because of all this, Amazon opted to replace Just Walk Out technology with 'Dash Carts,' shopping carts equipped with integrated screens and scanners. This technology allows people to scan their payment cards at the beginning of their shopping trip and then scan products as they place them in the cart to pay for them without having to go through a traditional checkout.
"Add, remove, weigh, and adjust items on your Dash Cart, then skip the checkout line," states information about the new technology on Amazon.com.
It should be noted that Amazon Fresh already has over 40 stores in the United States and is also the owner of Whole Foods. Although the company has not yet managed to compete with food giants such as Walmart, Costco, and Kroger, Amazon continues to explore new ways to expand its presence in the grocery market without neglecting tech options that promise to streamline the customer experience in its stores.
