Many of us believed that in the future buying would be faster and more convenient than ever, without the need for queues or cashiers. Just grab the products and walk out the door. Amazon would take care of charging us for everything we bought.
Well, it seems that it has all been a summer dream, as Amazon is gradually phasing out its cashierless grocery stores with “Just Walk Out” technology, as first reported by The Information on Tuesday.
The company’s senior vice president of grocery stores says they are moving away from Just Walk Out, which relied on cameras and sensors to track what people picked up and took home, for economic reasons.
Why Just Walk Out has been a disaster for Amazon
More than half of Amazon Fresh stores are equipped with Just Walk Out. This technology allows customers to skip the checkout by scanning a QR code when entering the store. Although it seems completely automated, Just Walk Out relies on over 1,000 people in India who watch and label videos to ensure the accuracy of the boxes. The cashiers simply watched you while you shopped.
Instead, Amazon is betting on Dash Carts, a scanner and integrated display in the shopping cart that allows you to pay while you shop. This is a more reliable solution than Just Walk Out. Amazon Fresh stores will also now have self-checkout counters for non-Amazon members.
And Amazon confirmed that this feature is replacing its Just Walk Out technology in existing stores.
Just Walk Out was first introduced in 2016, showcasing Amazon’s biggest and boldest innovation in grocery shopping. The technology seemed incredible, but there were some hiccups.
Customers often had to wait for hours to receive their receipts after leaving the store, largely because the remote cashiers would watch videos and assign items to different customers. In addition, the scanner and video camera system in each store is incredibly expensive.
According to The Information, 700 out of every 1,000 Just Walk Out sales required human reviewers starting in 2022. This greatly exceeded Amazon’s internal goals of achieving less than 50 reviews per 1,000 sales.
Amazon’s push away from expensive tests like Just Walk Out may be a sign that the company is looking to further expand its presence as a supermarket.
