Amazon opens Seattle store — with no checkout counters

NEW YORK: Amazon.com Inc has unveiled technology that will let shoppers grab groceries without having to scan and pay for them — in one stroke eliminating the checkout line.

The company is testing the new system at what it’s calling an Amazon Go store in Seattle, which will open to the public early next year.

Customers will be able to scan their phones at the entrance using a new Amazon Go mobile app. Then the technology will track what items they pick up or even return to the shelves and add them to a virtual shopping cart in real time, according a video Amazon posted on YouTube.

Once the customers exit the store, they’ll be charged on their Amazon account automatically.

The concept store and automated checkout mark Amazon’s latest attempt to upend the grocery business. The company began experimenting with fresh food in 2007, when it started AmazonFresh, a delivery service now active in 16 United States markets.

Grocers have been experimenting with automated checkout for years. The stores argue that the idea is not to get rid of workers, but to free them up to mount displays and help customers find what they need.

“While it remains to be seen how well the technology works, the experience could be very compelling,” said Michael Chui, a partner at McKinsey Global Institute. Bloomberg