At Amazon’s new grocery store of the future you need an app just to get into the store.
Amazon Go is opening its first physical location for the grocery-shopping public in Seattle on Monday. But before any shoppers can start stuffing bags full of groceries and simply walk out the door, they’ll have to download an app.
The Amazon Go shopping app is available through the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon’s own Appstore, and people are already peeking at what it does.
Already many reviews have come in about the app, including this beta user who’s all in: “The app is pretty basic. The overall experience is pretty magical. I find myself wishing that every store had the same Just Walk Out technology. Unfortunately, downloading this app does not enable you to skip the checkout line at your local grocer (they will call that shoplifting).”
Anyone can download the app, but it’s only useful for Seattle shoppers once the grab-and-go shop opens Monday morning. For those who plan on heading down, the app gives you access into the store (you won’t make it past the entry point without it) and then sends you a receipt of all the items you walked out with. (A New York Times reporter attempted to shoplift but didn’t get past the all-seeing eyes of Amazon.)
The app serves as a cashier of sorts since there’ll be no humans scanning your groceries. But it’s not all computers and cameras in the store. The same shoplifting NYT reporter said attendants are scattered throughout the store to help with any problems or questions, and a human will be checking IDs for alcohol purposes.
So apps and robots haven’t replaced us quite yet. But as one reviewer succinctly wrote, “Welcome to the future.”
