Amazon smart stores are set to surprise consumers early in 2017 with their interactive and no check-out shopping. These stores are Amazon's latest venture of creating a wholly convenient shopping experience that has never been done before.
The venutre is an experimental grocery store called Amazon Go. Consumers get a taste of the new venture late last year as Amazon set up a trial shopping experience to test the shop. The trial was set in Philadelphia, but the retail giant aims to open up hundreds more in different locations this year if all goes well.
Here's how the smart store works: shoppers have to log into their Amazon Go app, tap their mobile devices at the store entrance, pick out their grocery items, put them in their bag, and then leave.
The total cost of their groceries is debited on their account with just one click as they leave the store, the Internet Retailing reports.
Consumers no longer have to deal with long queues or stop at check-out counters. Amazon smart stores just let you shop and leave.
With the breakthrough idea of smart stores, one business analyst says that what Amazon is trying to create could even be easier than online shopping.
Amazon is not the only retail giant with the futuristic shopping idea. According to the Indian Express, high-end clothing shops like Neiman Marcus are testing interactive mirrors that provide shoppers with a 360-degree view of their image dressed in the outfit they like, without even putting it on.
SoftBank Robotics in Japan is also testing out humanoids that will interact deeply with shoppers to try to lure them to shop and spend more.
With the developments and renovations of hi-tech experiences as reported earlier, Amazon smart stores and others seek to develop brick and mortar shops that enhance consumers' awareness of what they are buying, communicate with robots, and be amazed with interactive mirrors.
