Whole Foods To Employ Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ Tech So You Can Skip The Cashier
Image via Amazon
Back in 2016, Amazon dazzled us all when it launched the first Amazon Go store that allowed customers to “Just Walk Out.” An accompanying app would track your purchases in a virtual cart, and automatically charges your Amazon account once you’re done with the groceries.
In June this year, the retail giant announced it was opening a new Amazon Fresh location with the same ‘Just Walk Out’ technology. It’s become even more seamless, with customers being able to scan the app, inserting a debit card that’s linked to an Amazon account, or placing their palm on the Amazon One scanner.
Now, Amazon’s cashierless technology will be expanded to two Whole Foods stores, one in Washington DC and the other in Sherman Oaks, California, by 2022. The retail company had acquired the grocery chain in 2017.
“By collaborating with Amazon to introduce Just Walk Out shopping at these Whole Foods Market stores, our customers will be able to … save time by skipping the checkout line,” said the co-founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey.
According to Engadget, some unions are worried that this artificial intelligence (AI) technology will cost many workers their jobs. However, Amazon said the new locations will still “employ a comparable number of team members as existing Whole Foods stores of similar sizes.”
Perhaps staff would be happier not having to spend their days ringing up grumpy customers!
[via Engadget, cover image via Amazon]
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