April 25, 2018

Amazon – Taking eCommerce to The Next Level

Amazon eCommerceOn Monday, January 22nd, 2018, Amazon—the American eCommerce and cloud computing company, publicly launched Amazon Go—the e-commerce cashier-less grocery store. This represents a technology and customer experience innovation that aims to take eCommerce to the next level. Here’s more on it!

Over time, we’ve gotten used to making a queue at grocery stores or lining up at checkout counters to pay for and take home whatever we bought from the store. But, Amazon Go—the cashier-less grocery store, is changing this physical store experience. A store with no queues and no money, Amazon opened to the public on January 22nd, 2018. So, what is Amazon Go and how will change ecommerce? Let’s find out!

All About Amazon Go

A few years back, the sole aim of retail stores was to sell the items on their shelves. However, the shift of the consumer to e-commerce has prompted retail stores to create new uses for physical stores such as click-and-collect, ship-from store and easy returns. Additionally, some retailers are taking measures to mimic the ease and convenience of online shopping while offering a real life buying experience. Example of this is Amazon Go.

A new age store that does not require any checkout, Amazon Go is an advanced shopping technology that eliminates the need to wait in line. The Just Walk Out Shopping experience of Amazon allows shoppers to use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products they want, and leave—no lines, no checkout. Isn’t that awesome?

To revolutionize the shopping experience, Amazon Go uses artificial intelligence (AI) and a series of sensors. Let’s quickly look at how Amazon Go works, what you can buy at this cashier-less grocery store and how to shop there.

How It Works

Deep learning, sensor fusion and computer vision—the same technology which is used in self-driving cars, enables the checkout-free shopping experience of Amazon Go. The technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and this is tracked in a virtual cart. You can leave the store as soon as you’re done shopping. A few moments after you leave the store, you are sent a receipt and your Amazon account is charged.

What Can You Buy

The grocery items at the store range from staples like bread and milk to locally made chocolates and artisan cheeses. Also, you will find at the store ready-to-eat snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner options by made by Amazon’s chefs and favorite local bakeries and kitchens. In addition, the store has chef-designed Amazon Meal Kits for a quick home-cooked dinner.

How to Shop There

Amazon Go makes shopping easy and this is no exaggeration. So, how do you shop at this cashier-less grocery store? With an Amazon account, a free Amazon Go app, and any recent-generation smart phone. The Amazon Go app can be easily downloaded from the Amazon Appstore, Google Play, and Apple App Store.

After you arrive at the store, use the Amazon Go app to enter it. After this, you can put your phone in your pocket or bag as you won’t need it to shop. Simply look around and shop like you would do at any other store. Once you’ve picked the items you want, you’re done: No lines, No checkout!

Even though it is a cashier-less store requiring no queues or checkouts, Amazon Go does have a team of associates at the store who are there to prepare the ready-to-eat food and assist customers in case they need a product recommendation or any other help.

Is Amazon Go the Future of Brick-and-Mortar Retail and Ecommerce?

The debate about the future of automated checkouts is ongoing, but Amazon Go has already created many ripples in the retail sector and eCommerce. A company that pioneered online retail, Amazon is now revolutionizing how people shop in store and in this process, disrupting many big-named retailers that came before it.

Shoppers no longer need to buy items and then line up at the checkout counters to pay for them. They can simply pick items and leave the store without waiting in line and paying for items. Once you leave the store, Amazon will track what you’ve taken and will charge you accordingly. Many believe that this will change not only the brick-and-mortar retail, but also ecommerce.

By using people and machines alongside each other in tandem, Amazon Go is ensuring an optimal customer experience. Businesses can no longer compete on price and product alone as we’re living in the ‘experience era’ of online service. Customers today want a seamless, convenient journey and that is exactly what Amazon Go provides.

Amazon Go is the convenience of human support combined with technological speed, resulting in a fast, efficient shopping experience. Add to this Amazon Go’s ability to maintain this frictionless experience even when something goes haywire and you have a real winner.

A little while back, the team at CNBC accidently got a free yoghurt. To quell any stress, both Amazon Go and the Yoghurt company demonstrated approachability. How? They made themselves available where the customers where: on Twitter, giving them real-time support. Offline support went online and the grievances were quickly taken care of to ensure a seamless experience.

Final Word

Amazon Go is changing retail in many ways including simpler and quicker checkout process, less use of paper money and more use of online payment, increased user experience of offline customers and dramatic reduction in labor costs.

Additionally, by tracking individual shopping behavior to improve the online experience, Amazon Go is helping to take eCommerce to the next level. If you want to know more about Amazon Go and how it is helping eCommerce, get in touch with us today!

by Bobby J Davidson

We love our company and we love what we do.  Check out the ‘Why Percento‘ page to learn more: Love of Technology and Business!  As the President of Percento Technologies International, I provide day-to-day leadership to the company’s senior management and I am personally involved in the strategy, business development and sales activities of the firm.

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