Amazon has announced it will remove its Just Walk Out technology from its Amazon Fresh stores, as part of an overall revamp of the grocery store chain across the United States.
The Just Walk Out technology has previously allowed customers to pay for items without standing in line, and will subsequently send the customer a receipt for their items.
Amazon said the technology would instead be replaced with smart carts, which would allow customers to avoid the check out, but also witness their spending in real time.
A spokesperson for the company said that Amazon Fresh had listened to customer feedback about skipping the checkout queue, as well as those who wished to view their receipts and savings as they shopped in-store. The smart cart system is said to provide customers with the same benefits, without needing to stand in line to pay.
The Seattle-based company has operated several Fresh grocery stores across the United States, since the concept was introduced in 2007. The company has also introduced cashier-free technology in its Amazon Go stores, and also purchased Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion.
Early commentators predicted that Amazon’s entry into the grocery market would disrupt the sector. However, the company has struggled to find the right balance for consumers.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in his 2023 letter to shareholders that the company was focused on finding the right formula that would allow a larger impact on the physical grocery sector. The company has since closed some poor-performing Amazon Fresh and Go stores and has paused further expansion on new Fresh store openings.
In November 2023, Amazon re-opened three Fresh stores in Los Angeles and announced that it was now focused on selectively opening new Fresh stores and remodelling its existing stores.
Just Walk Out technology will remain in Amazon Fresh's stores in the United Kingdom, and will still continue to offer the technology to third-party retailers.
To read more international news, click here.
