Just a few months after Amazon posted new job availability for an upcoming grocery store, the first Amazon Go Grocery location has opened. The new storefront is located on 610 East Pike Street in Seattle, Washington. It boasts a much larger size when compared with Amazon Go locations while also distinguishing itself from Whole Foods Market by offering a wide range of standard grocery items not found at its organic-focused storefronts. Continue reading for more details.
How large is this Amazon Go Grocery store?
At 10,400-square feet, the new Amazon Go Grocery store is roughly four to nine times larger than the company’s other locations. While certainly larger than other Amazon Go storefronts, this new location is quite a bit smaller than Amazon-owned Whole Foods Markets which tend to average somewhere between 35,000-40,000-square feet.
Which items are stocked at an Amazon Go Grocery store?
Amazon classifies its offerings as “everyday ingredients and essentials.” Many of the products found throughout its new Amazon Go Grocery store are taste-tested to ensure that it has met the company’s standards. Examples of what you’ll find include fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, cheese, baked goods, and more.
What is “Just Walk Out Shopping?”
One of the most interesting parts of Amazon Go Grocery is the total elimination of check-out lines. Its new Seattle location is the first to offer Just Walk Out Shopping which encourages customers to “come in, take what you want, and just walk out.” Check out is done using the Amazon Go app, which provides an account-based QR code that is scanned when entering the store. Once this is done, everything else is automated. You can grab what you want and leave once you’re finished.
9to5Toys’ Take
Checking out in a store can often be the most time-consuming portion of shopping. That’s why the idea of streamlining full-blown grocery stores is something I think we can welcome with open arms. It’d be a delight to walk in, grab what’s needed, and walk right out with no need to unload and reload a grocery cart.
Despite this, many will worry about the potential job loss Amazon Go Grocery could create as competitors choose to also forego cashiers in their stores. While certainly a valid concern, Amazon is far from slashing all jobs in its brick-and-mortar stores. You’ll still see greeters, re-stockers, and others ready to make recommendations and answer customer questions. Taking this approach should help alleviate concerns for a later time. You can learn more on the new Amazon Go Grocery landing page.
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