Amazon Go

How does it work?

Shopping at an Amazon Go store is an easy and clear process. Customers enter the store by scanning a QR code on their phones that are connected to their Amazon account.  As customers pick up items from the shelves, sensors in the store track the items and add them to the customer's virtual cart. If a customer changes their mind, they can return an item and the sensors will remove it from their cart. Customers may simply exit the store after finishing their shopping, and the products in their virtual cart will be charged to their Amazon account.

 The technology behind Amazon Go is designed to create an effortless shopping experience for customers.  The following are the main technologies employed by Amazon Go:

1) Computer Vision:  Amazon Go tracks the movement of people and goods inside the store using computer vision technologies.  The system uses cameras and sensors to detect when customers pick up items, and it tracks the movement of those items throughout the store.  Each consumer has a virtual cart created for them using this data, which is updated in real-time as they shop.

2) Sensor Fusion: To track the movement of goods inside the store, Amazon Go makes use of a variety of sensors, including cameras, scales, and shelf sensors. Together, these sensors deliver precise and timely information about which goods have been taken and which have been placed back on the shelf.

3) Machine learning: The massive amounts of information gathered by the sensors and cameras in the store are processed using machine learning algorithms. These algorithms help to identify patterns and trends in customer behavior, which can be used to improve the overall shopping experience.

4) Amazon Web Services (AWS): Amazon Go employs Amazon Web Services (AWS) to handle and store the enormous amounts of data that the store's sensors and cameras have acquired. AWS provides the scalability and flexibility needed to support the complex data processing and storage requirements of Amazon Go.

5) Mobile app: The customers enter the store using the Amazon Go app by scanning a QR code on a turnstile-like machine. Once they enter the app links their account to the shopping trip. The app also provides information about the items in the store, such as prices and nutritional information. 

Why did Bezos choose Amazon Go?

In simple words, it's a great innovation! Bezos knows what the customer wants; easy and convenient services, so he launched this innovation for the sake of customers who are the soul of the business. Almost everyone will find it simple to use the app and shop at this convenience store.  Anyone who used the app and shopped at the store for the first time found it time-saving and fun and enjoyable, and they would leave the store amazed and satisfied. Amazon Go is heavily dependent on data, and one of Bezos's views on innovation is to be data-driven. The store uses machine learning as mentioned above to collect data on how customers act and how satisfied they were, and this is crucial to Bezos because he wants to improve his products, services, and marketing strategies. 

References

Alex. “How Does Amazon Go Work? (How to Pay, Does It Have Employees, Shoplifting + More).” Talk Radio News, 27 July 2022, https://talkradionews.com/how-does-amazon-go-work-how-to-pay-does-it-have-employees-shoplifting-more/#r.

Bishop, Todd. “How 'Amazon Go' Works: The Technology behind the Online Retailer's Groundbreaking New Grocery Store.” GeekWire, 13 Jan. 2017, https://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-go-works-technology-behind-online-retailers-groundbreaking-new-grocery-store/.

Burgess, Matt. “The Technology behind Amazon's Surveillance-Heavy Go Store.” WIRED UK, WIRED UK, 22 Jan. 2018, https://www.wired.co.uk/article/amazon-go-seattle-uk-store-how-does-work.

Nanou, Electra. “How Amazon's Cashierless Grocery Stores Actually Work.” MUO, 7 Aug. 2021, https://www.makeuseof.com/how-amazons-cashierless-grocery-stores-actually-work/.

Staff, Amazon. “Amazon Fresh Grocery Store: Meet Just Walk out Shopping.” US About Amazon, US About Amazon, 15 June 2021, https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-fresh-grocery-store-meet-just-walk-out-shopping.

Thomas, Jessica. “The Technology behind Amazon Go: How It Works and What It Means for Retailers.” Purple, Purple, 19 Jan. 2017, https://purple.ai/blogs/amazon-go-technology-retail/#:~:text=The%20first%20technology%20Amazon%20Go%20attributes%20its%20success,algorithms%20based%20on%20the%20data%20that%20is%20gathered.

Tillman, Maggie. “Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh: How the 'Just Walk out' Tech Works.” Pocket, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/amazon/139650-what-is-amazon-go-where-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/.