Amazon Go Opens in San Francisco: Taking Automated Convenience to the Next Level

Following suit in line with other locations such as Seattle and Chicago, Amazon is offering an entirely new concept to its San Francisco customer base. Known as Amazon Go, automated convenience and a variety of proprietary products are available within moments.

However, what has allowed this San Francisco to stand apart from its traditional retail counterparts?

Cashier-Less Checkout Services

It can be argued that the most interesting aspect of this store is that customers will no longer have to deal with physical sales representatives when purchasing products. Instead, Amazon employs a series of sensors and digital cameras to track the movements of its customers.

When they approach the checkout line, they will simply swipe their personal amazon card. Any products are thereafter debited to their account. Not only will this new concept save a great deal of time, but many of the foods and drinks that are offered will appeal to the average customer.

A Simple and Yet Convincing Mantra

"Good Food Fast" is the mission statement of this Amazon Go store. While their foods are all packaged by offsite staff, they are also prepared fresh on a daily basis. Sandwiches, snacks, salads, and even entire meals are literally moments away. The developers of this new concept wanted to achieve a handful of objectives:

• To avoid morning and afternoon rushes.
• To provide customers with a wide variety of products to choose from.
• To encourage healthier eating practices.
• To expedite the selection and purchasing processes.

Even niche categories such as sushi are readily available, so it does indeed appear that this new San Francisco store has something for everyone.

The Wave of the Future?

Might this new concept signal a paradigm shift in terms of consumer purchases? It should be clear that Amazon is not necessarily trying to compete with larger convenience stores such as 7-Eleven nor do they desire to take away business from local San Francisco restaurants. The company is instead trying to establish a firm foothold within the realm of offline retail sales.

Considering the fact that their previous venues have already garnered a significant amount of attention, the future for this interesting marketing strategy looks bright.