Amazon abandons cashier-less checkout system, 'Just Walk Out' technology in US grocery stores
LOS ANGELES - Amazon is removing its cashier-less checkout, also known as its "Just Walk Out" technology, from its Fresh grocery store locations across the United States the company announced Wednesday.
When the system launched in Cerritos, California in 2021, it offered an ambitious take on retail strategy and grocery shopping. The system involves several cameras and sensors throughout the store that monitor which items shoppers take in order to automatically charge them when they leave.
"We’ve invested a lot of time redesigning a number of our Amazon Fresh stores over the last year, offering a better overall shopping experience with more value, convenience, and selection — and so far we’ve seen positive results, with higher customer shopping satisfaction scores and increased purchasing," said Amazon spokesperson Carly Golden in a statement.
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The company announced that it will cease use of the cashier-less checkout system in existing Fresh storefronts across the country, and it will not include the technology in the new Fresh locations set to open this year. Instead, customers can check out at Amazon Fresh grocery stores using "Dash Carts" – a scan-as-you-go technology that allows users to keep a running total as they shop.
"We’ve also heard from customers that while they enjoyed the benefit of skipping the checkout line with Just Walk Out, they also wanted the ability to easily find nearby products and deals, view their receipt as they shop, and know how much money they saved while shopping throughout the store," said Golden.
Pasadena, CA - September 15:The new Amazon Fresh store on E. Colorado Blvd in Pasadena, CA Thursday, September 15, 2022. This is the first Amazon Fresh store location in Pasadena. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
Leading up to the system's launch, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos called the "Just Walk Out" technology a distinguishing mark for the company and a way to "get rid of the worst thing about physical retail."
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"No one likes to wait in line," then-CEO Bezos wrote in his 2018 letter to shareholders. "Instead, we imagined a store where you could walk in, pick up what you wanted, and leave."
Amazon’s Go convenience stores will continue to use Just Walk Out technology, along with smaller Fresh locations in the U.K. The company will also continue to license the cashier-less system to other retailers.