# Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line



## kleenex (Dec 5, 2016)

Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line

I say this has too many questions and possible flaws for this to work.


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## msmofet (Dec 5, 2016)

If it works it will be wonderful.


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## roadfix (Dec 5, 2016)

All it is is a giant walk-through vending machine.   I like it.   But I'm strictly a cash and carry guy so it wouldn't work for me.


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## Addie (Dec 5, 2016)

So how is a product deducted if you decided you have gone over your budget and put a product back on the shelf? 

I am becoming more and more leery of companies trying to control *your* money and how you spend it.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 5, 2016)

Addie said:


> So how is a product deducted if you decided you have gone over your budget and put a product back on the shelf?
> 
> I am becoming more and more leery of companies trying to control *your* money and how you spend it.



It's always helpful to read the article before asking questions 

"The service is called Amazon Go. It uses machine learning, sensors and artificial intelligence to track items customers pick up. These are then added to the virtual cart on their app. If they pick up an item they later decide they don't want, putting it back on the shelf removes it from their cart."

I don't see how this is "trying to control *your* money and how you spend it." I think it's a pretty nifty idea.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 5, 2016)

kleenex said:


> Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line
> 
> I say this has too many questions and possible flaws for this to work.



What kind of flaws?


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## Mad Cook (Dec 6, 2016)

kleenex said:


> Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line
> 
> I say this has too many questions and possible flaws for this to work.



Tesco (big supermarket chain in UK) has started something similar. You carry round a gadget that registers the things you put in your bag and then (I think) applies it automatically to your credit/debit card.

I don't use Tesco as I object to its racketteering with its suppliers. Same applies to Asda (owned by Walmart!!!). Fortunately, I live in a village with enough independent shopkeepers that I don't need to frequent big s/markets often.


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## jennyema (Dec 6, 2016)

kleenex said:


> Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line
> 
> I say this has too many questions and possible flaws for this to work.


 
What are the questions and flaws?

This is brilliant and the way of the world today.

I avoid lines and pay with my phone now for a lot of things.

And also use Amazon to deliver loads of household products to my door which are cheaper than in stores.


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## roadfix (Dec 6, 2016)

I remember 20 years ago Amazon was just a start up, on-line book seller.  These guys have come a long way.


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## msmofet (Dec 6, 2016)

Personally I use one of those electronic carts when my pain is bad. If there isn't one available and it's crowded or long lines I leave. Also I do my shopping and save the frozen food for last. I hate having to wait in a long line waiting to checkout while my frozen starts to thaw out. 

I think this idea is wonderful. I hope No waiting checkout comes here soon. The only drawback and bad point would be the loss of jobs for cashiers. 

Also how many times have been running around do errands or you just have no idea what to make for dinner but you want something different. I think it would be nice to try a meal kit with all you need for that meal. I hate trying a new recipe and invest in spices or ingredients in larger than you need quantity that sit around and never get used because we didn't care for the meal. So sometimes pricey spices get pushed to the back never to be seen again just to be chucked out years later and fresh ingredients get thrown away after going bad.  I hate wasting money that way.


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## CraigC (Dec 6, 2016)

We just had our first experience with using the self check out for a full shopping load. Never again! For a few items, no problem, but there isn't enough space in the "bagging area" for a whole order and every time we put bagged items in our cart we got "Please return items to the bagging area" and the clerk had to come and override the machine.

I can see Amazon Go working, but just like automation in other businesses, it takes jobs from real people! You never know, it just might be your job being replaced.


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## Dawgluver (Dec 6, 2016)

I have faith in Amazon.  I think they'll make it work.  And yeah, sadly, will take jobs from people.

The self-checkouts at Walmart scare me.  I always manage to mess up something, so an associate has to reset.  I would rather wait in line and have a real-life human check me out.


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## msmofet (Dec 6, 2016)

Our StopnShop has the option to grab a scanner as you walk in. You scan your store card (which gives you discounts/coupon prices) then you can grab paper or plastic bags or use your on reusable bags. You can scan and bag our wait till checkout to bag. I like that I can see my total as I go so I don't over spend. They even allow you to weigh produce and printout a label that you scan. You can then take the scanner to a self checkout isle which reads the scanner. And if you bagged already just pay and leave or you bag there. What I do is scan and use my bags BUT I go to a cashier and she puts in the scanner info. They really like when you do that because all they need do is accept payment without having to bag. It also brings up their numbers (here they keep track of the time of each checkout and have quotas of per hour order transactions).


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## roadfix (Dec 6, 2016)

All the glitches will eventually be worked out.....


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## blissful (Dec 6, 2016)

roadfix said:


> All the glitches will eventually be worked out.....



Isn't that the truth! And it takes time to find every little glitch. For instance, Jane is shopping and has a big bag full of paid for items, she sets it down to get another bag, and leaves it behind her. Jill comes along and grabs the bag and leaves the store....oops. Jill gets free groceries and Jan doesn't check out her Amazon charges every single time she shops there.

For instance, Jill and Jan go shopping, with two different Amazon accounts, Jill buys toothpaste, Jan buys 20 steak dinner kits (lol, kits). Jill picks up the bag for Jan and leaves the store. Jan stands there with no groceries...wondering what happened? Optical recognition might work! 

There will always be a glitch. Always, don't kid yourself and once the public finds the glitch, they will exploit it. Remember hearing about the airlines selling tickets online at ridiculously low prices, it was a glitch, they had to make good on those wrong prices. Once the public heard about it, they exploited it.

Locally, we had a grocery store chain that started the self check out. If  you brought your own grocery bags you were refunded $0.20 (or something like that). There was no limit on how many bags you could be refunded for. (glitch) So some smart teens/twenty somethings started entering very high numbers of bags, essentially getting a refund on bags they never brought with them. One of them ended up with a felony (this is determined by the $ amount of money stolen), the other with a misdemeanor.


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## jennyema (Dec 6, 2016)

Yikes...


I've been self checking out for at least 12 years now ...  Its soooo much faster!!


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## CakePoet (Dec 6, 2016)

Mad cook, I  am famous for killing those gadgets, when in Uk if I stand near the  gadget checkout, the machine will fail.  And the same here in Sweden,  gadgets and me  doesnt work for some reason.  Oh well back in the 90.ties I used to kill  lap top computers  bu having them in my lap..


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## kleenex (Dec 6, 2016)

jennyema said:


> What are the questions and flaws?



Does this store work with people on Food Stamps?

If you take a muffin off one shelf and place it back where cereal is sold does it remove if off your shopping total?

If two people remove different priced items in the same spot at the same time will it know what item was properly taken?

If you abandon a cart how long before all the products are removed off your order?

Can you easily jump over the smartphone scanner and get away with it??

If you bring a kid with you and they take something off the shelf and sneak it into a shopping bag will it know the item was added to the shopping list?

If you do not have a credit card or even a bank account you may not have a chance to use this store right?

You need to have a smartphone just to use the store.  Not everyone in the USA uses a smartphone though?


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## roadfix (Dec 6, 2016)

CakePoet said:


> Mad cook, I  am famous for killing those gadgets, when in Uk if I stand near the  gadget checkout, the machine will fail.  And the same here in Sweden,  gadgets and me  doesnt work for some reason.  Oh well back in the 90.ties I used to kill  lap top computers  bu having them in my lap..


Oh wow, have you thought of replacing your pacemaker?


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## LizStreithorst (Dec 6, 2016)

I have a great little supermarket in my little one horse town.  They are staffed with friendly people.  Many of them know my name and I know theirs.  They always have an extra person who can open a register in a moment.  There are generally no more that two people in line, the one checking out and just one waiting to be checked out.  

It's not as good as in the UK where I could visit the fish monger, the butcher, and the produce store and have those folks know what I like and cater to me personally, but it's the next best thing.


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## buckytom (Dec 6, 2016)

It seems too buggy to me right now, so I voted no.

But when I can take my flying car to the store, I will use it. By then, all of the kinks will have been worked out for sure.


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## blissful (Dec 6, 2016)

buckytom said:


> It seems too buggy to me right now, so I voted no.
> 
> But when I can take my flying car to the store, I will use it. By then, all of the kinks will have been worked out for sure.



When my grocery drone can do my shopping for me, then I'm all in for it. I can't see putting miles on my flying car at this stage. Between the car insurance and the maintenance, with the insurance, well, it takes too much money to get groceries that way. I'll settle for the grocery drone doing my grocery business. I wish.


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## Cheryl J (Dec 6, 2016)

LOL bucky and blissful!

I most likely wouldn't be interested, so I voted no.  

I'm retired and have plenty of time on my hands, and I actually like grocery shopping the 'old fashioned' way.  I don't mind when the little old white haired lady behind me in line asks me to watch her cart while she gets 'one more thing' she forgot.  That happened today.  We only have 2 supermarkets here in my small town, and I enjoy leisurely shopping and chatting with people.
I've never even used the self checkout, I see and read about too many headaches from glitches. 

I can*'*t see me ever being in that much of a rush and learning even more technology to use this feature. And I don't want an app that dictates or suggests meal kits.   JMO.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 7, 2016)

Cheryl J said:


> And I don't want an app that dictates or suggests meal kits.   JMO.



Where did you get the impression that the app "dictates or suggests meal kits"? The article mentioned that, in the introductory video, they're featured in the store, but it doesn't say anything about the app.


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## Cooking Goddess (Dec 7, 2016)

The self-check-out and I don't play well together...

However, one of the stores I shop partners with a program called "*Fetch*". It's similar to a grocery store "preferred shopper" card, but along with getting discounts you accumulate rewards to use towards free food. If you participate, you download an app to your phone or tablet (or join on your laptop at home/library, then borrow the store tablet to use while you shop), then scan the UPC of each item you pick up with the device's camera. If there are special additional discounts, or points, they have cards with barcodes by the item that you scan. When you go to check out, you tap the "ready to check out" button on the screen, a full-screen barcode displays, the cashier scans it, and verifies that what you have is what you scanned. Checking out is quick and painless. Since I signed up when the program first started, I've probably earned about $100 in free food. Since I tend to shop sales and loss-leaders most of the time, I've really been able to save on groceries in the last year or so.


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## medtran49 (Dec 7, 2016)

There was an article on the Yahoo newsfeed this morning about this being the first step in grocery store job killers.  And I can totally see that happening.  Look at how banks are doing away with tellers in the banks proper and drive-throughs.  That's great if you have direct deposit or machine printed checks, even legible handwritten checks.  Unfortunately not everyone does.  Craig gets a check periodically from someone who has very poor, on top of teeny tiny handwriting and depositing it in an ATM doesn't work.  It gets rejected a week or so down the line when they can't read the picture the ATM takes of the check before it goes off to storage (never to be seen again according to the bank's customer service people).


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## Cheryl J (Dec 7, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> Where did you get the impression that the app "dictates or suggests meal kits"? The article mentioned that, in the introductory video, they're featured in the store, but it doesn't say anything about the app.


 
I don't know....probably just a combination of random thoughts and wine.


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## blissful (Dec 7, 2016)

Cheryl J said:


> I don't know....probably just a combination of random thoughts and wine.



no.


> The technology "is amazing," said Phil Lempert, a food marketing expert based in Los Angeles.
> He's  even more intrigued by the multiple images of "meal kits" show in  Amazon's video. These "everything you need to cook a quick, high-quality  dinner" kits have become popular, but the economics of delivering them  has meant they're difficult to make economically viable. Stores such as  Amazon Go may provide a sweet spot for them.



Meal kits and dinner kits are to recipes, as smart phones are to using a brain.


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## msmofet (Dec 7, 2016)

blissful said:


> no.
> 
> 
> Meal kits and dinner kits are to recipes, as smart phones are to using a brain.



I disagree. I think a meal kit with everything you need to make a meal and directions is perfect for someone new to cooking. Gives them a chance to experiment with cooking without being  overwhelmed trying to shop for ingredients that they are unfamiliar with  and spending money on large amounts of ingredients they may never use again. 

I think it is wonderful for young people to get their feet wet.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 7, 2016)

msmofet said:


> I disagree. I think a meal kit with everything you need to make a meal and directions is perfect for someone new to cooking. Gives them a chance to experiment with cooking without being  overwhelmed trying to shop for ingredients that they are unfamiliar with  and spending money on large amounts of ingredients they may never use again.
> 
> I think it is wonderful for young people to get their feet wet.



I like the idea. I don't like the waste. Every single ingredient is separately packaged in plastic - every cup of onion, tablespoon of fresh herb and teaspoon of ground spice.


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## roadfix (Dec 7, 2016)

I'm still learning how to cook.   I've never tried a meal kit before but sounds like something I can benefit and learn from.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 7, 2016)

roadfix said:


> I'm still learning how to cook.   I've never tried a meal kit before but sounds like something I can benefit and learn from.



Here's a review of the ones that were available last year (don't know if they're all still in business). Read the comments, too. Lots of good info there. 

http://www.thekitchn.com/meals-by-m...y-kit-is-right-for-you-product-roundup-215617


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## CakePoet (Dec 8, 2016)

roadfix: I dont have a pacemaker...  I and electronics are not good friends, but it seams to  get better the older I get.  I ones pointed to a old  stereo rack and said turn that off and it did by it self.... 


In Sweden you can buy Dinner bags, 3-5 meals with all you need to make them.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 8, 2016)

blissful said:


> Isn't that the truth! And it takes time to find every little glitch. For instance, Jane is shopping and has a big bag full of paid for items, she sets it down to get another bag, and leaves it behind her. Jill comes along and grabs the bag and leaves the store....oops. Jill gets free groceries and Jan doesn't check out her Amazon charges every single time she shops there.



That problem is Jane's carelessness, not a glitch in the system.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 8, 2016)

Cheryl J said:


> I don't know....probably just a combination of random thoughts and wine.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 8, 2016)

These are my educated guesses, based on my understanding of how computers,  smartphones and geolocation work.



kleenex said:


> Does this store work with people on Food Stamps?



Not likely. It doesn't seem like food stamp recipients are in their target demographic. I doubt people who use food stamps shop at Whole Foods or eat at Ruth's Criss, either.



kleenex said:


> If you take a muffin off one shelf and place it back where cereal is sold does it remove if off your shopping total?



Yes. 



> It uses machine learning, sensors and artificial intelligence to track items customers pick up. These are then added to the virtual cart on their app. If they pick up an item they later decide they don't want, putting it back on the shelf removes it from their cart.



I think the items have to be right near you for them to be in your virtual cart, and if they're not with you when you leave the store, you won't be charged.



kleenex said:


> If two people remove different priced items in the same spot at the same time will it know what item was properly taken?



Yes. See above.



kleenex said:


> If you abandon a cart how long before all the products are removed off your order?



If you leave the store without the goods, they will be removed from your cart right away, just like if you put something back on a shelf.



kleenex said:


> Can you easily jump over the smartphone scanner and get away with it??



I'm going to guess the "scanner" is at the door and there is nothing to jump over, or even point your phone at. Whatever you take out of the store that's tagged with those anti-theft devices like you see at other stores will be charged to your Amazon wallet. Since the idea is that you don't have to actually check out, the action of leaving the store with any items will charge them to your account.



kleenex said:


> If you bring a kid with you and they take something off the shelf and sneak it into a shopping bag will it know the item was added to the shopping list?



Yes. See above.



kleenex said:


> If you do not have a credit card or even a bank account you may not have a chance to use this store right?



Right.



kleenex said:


> You need to have a smartphone just to use the store.  Not everyone in the USA uses a smartphone though?



Right. Again, those people aren't in the target demographic. According to the Pew Research Center, 68% of U.S. adults own a smartphone.


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## Addie (Dec 8, 2016)

CakePoet said:


> roadfix: I dont have a pacemaker...  I and electronics are not good friends, but it seams to  get better the older I get.  I ones pointed to a old  stereo rack and said turn that off and it did by it self....
> 
> 
> In Sweden you can buy Dinner bags, 3-5 meals with all you need to make them.



Don't fret. You are not the only one who can't get along with electronics. My DIL gave this family some great laughs over her battle with something as simple as a remote control. Now it is my turn. My kids want to buy me a laptop. No way. I want a new computer with a tower. And just programs I already know. It is not like I am going back to the working world and need to come up to date.


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## CharlieD (Dec 8, 2016)

I voted yes. By the time they come here to MN, they I'm sure will work out all the bugs and it will be wonderful, or so I hope.


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## Cooking Goddess (Dec 12, 2016)

CakePoet said:


> ...I and electronics are not good friends, but it seams to  get better the older I get.  I ones pointed to a old  stereo rack and said turn that off and it did by it self...


Check out information on *SLIders*. Some people believe that there are persons who possess such a strong personal magnetic field that they can affect the function of electronics around them. Someone told me about it when I complained that street lights would go out as I passed under them. They believed in this subject strongly. As for myself, I mostly think it was just bad luck on my part while driving the roadways. *shrug*


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## ChefsHat (Dec 15, 2016)

So scary how tech is taking away jobs. All of the silicon valley CEOS including Musk are proposing something called UBI - universal basic income because there aren't going to be jobs anymore! The tech CEOs know what kind of tech is coming down the pipeline and it will not be kind to workers...


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