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"Amazon Go" Store Opens in Seattle

posted by Fnord666 on Monday January 22 2018, @03:16PM   Printer-friendly
from the ripe-for-hacking dept.

takyon writes:

Amazon Go is a go:

The first clue that there's something unusual about Amazon's store of the future hits you right at the front door. It feels as if you are entering a subway station. A row of gates guard the entrance to the store, known as Amazon Go, allowing in only people with the store's smartphone app.

Inside is an 1,800-square foot mini-market packed with shelves of food that you can find in a lot of other convenience stores — soda, potato chips, ketchup. It also has some food usually found at Whole Foods, the supermarket chain that Amazon owns.

But the technology that is also inside, mostly tucked away out of sight, enables a shopping experience like no other. There are no cashiers or registers anywhere. Shoppers leave the store through those same gates, without pausing to pull out a credit card. Their Amazon account automatically gets charged for what they take out the door.

[...] There were a little over 3.5 million cashiers in the United States in 2016 — and some of their jobs may be in jeopardy if the technology behind Amazon Go eventually spreads. For now, Amazon says its technology simply changes the role of employees — the same way it describes the impact of automation on its warehouse workers.

Also at TechCrunch.

Previously: Amazon Go: It's Like Shoplifting

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Monday January 22 2018, @06:07PM (2 children)

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Monday January 22 2018, @06:07PM (#626160)

    2) Nobody cares that you like Caraway Rye read or Ranch dressing. There's no money to be made by selling those facts.

    Why not? Companies selling rye bread or ranch dressing can use that info for targeted advertising: they can advertise their competing brand of dressing to you in an effort to get you to try it, because they know that you already like ranch dressing, whereas they can *not* advertise to me, because my data shows that I never buy ranch dressing so it's probably a waste of money to show me an ad for it, instead of, say, Earl Grey tea, which I do buy.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +3  
       Interesting=2, Informative=1, Total=3
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   5  

  • (Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Monday January 22 2018, @06:23PM (1 child)

    by nobu_the_bard (6373) on Monday January 22 2018, @06:23PM (#626168)

    Or maybe Caraway Rye bread get the idea to make Ranch-flavor Caraway Rye bread because they notice some critical portion of their customers like ranch dressing...