The checkout-free store being pioneered by Amazon has finally made its way to the United Kingdom. Spanning an area of 2,500 sq. ft, the Amazon Fresh store has opened in London. It is just a two-minute walk from Ealing Broadway tube station.
Amazon Invites Londoners to “Just Walk Out”
The Amazon Fresh store in Ealing, West London will sell groceries and food products. Amazon is sourcing the supplies from local supermarket chains including Morrisons and Booths. The company already has a partnership with Morrisons for its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service.
Amazon is also using the store launch to sell more products under its own brand. London’s checkout-free store will have products like meat, poultry, dairy, and fruits under the “By Amazon” brand name.
The shop is open from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week. It is the first store in the United Kingdom to offer a checkout-free experience where customers can walk-in, pick up the products they want to buy, and leave.
In case you want to return a purchased item, you can do so by dropping them at the nearest Amazon Hub Pickup & Returns counter.
Due to COVID restrictions, Amazon will only allow 20 customers inside the store at once. There will be a traffic light system outside the store to let customers know when they can walk inside. Masks are also mandatory, with the store providing one for free if customers forget theirs.
More Checkout-Free Stores Are on the Way
This store in Ealing is just the beginning of Amazon’s push into the UK, as the company reportedly has plans to open 30 checkout-free stores across the country.
Amazon already has around 25 checkout-free stores in the United States under the Amazon Go brand. These stores sell grocery products, with the one in Seattle being a full-fledged supermarket.
As The Grocer UK notes, Amazon plans on opening its second checkout-free storage in Notting Hill Gate.
How Do Amazon’s Checkout-Free Stores Work?
Amazon’s checkout-free stores make use of the company’s “Just Walk Out” technology. Amazon says this is the same technology used in self-driving cars, and includes deep learning, sensor fusion, and more. Unlike traditional stores, these stores do not feature a conventional billing counter.
Instead, there are various cameras and sensors inside the store to track customers. The sensors also help track when items are picked up from the shelf. Before you can enter Amazon’s checkout-free store, you must scan a QR code using Amazon’s app located at the store’s entrance.
After this, you can pick up the items you want and walk out of the store. The amount for your total purchase will be automatically billed to your card linked to Amazon. The company says that it only collects customer data relevant for billing purposes and nothing else.
Amazon’s Checkout-Free Technology Is Available to Others
Amazon’s checkout-free stores are based on its “Just Walk Out” technology. The company also runs a program where it is licensing this tech to other retailers. Amazon plans to further expand the use of this technology and open more checkout-free stores in the US, the UK, and the rest of the world. So, one way or another, this is likely to become commonplace.