Good afternoon everyone, happy Halloween! Yesterday, I visited the new Amazon Go store in San Francisco (Google Map). I would describe the Amazon Go store as a small Whole Foods with prepackaged food, snacks, drinks, and a very minimum first aid section. There are no electronics or other home goods (besides a few Amazon Go mugs & bottles). The Amazon Go store was the size of a small 7/11 or convenience store. You do not need to be an Amazon Prime member, you only need to be an Amazon customer who has a credit card on file. The first thing you need to do is download the Amazon Go app (iOS or Android), sign into your Amazon account, and select a credit card you want to use (I used my Discover It Credit Card since it earns 5% cash back at Amazon this quarter).
After you set up your Amazon Go app, there will be a diamond QR code. When you walk inside the Amazon Go store, there are a few waist-high security gates (similar to what you would see if you went to a tall office building). Scan your Amazon Go diamond QR code like you would at TSA and the security gates will open. Congrats, you are now inside the Amazon Go store.
If you look up at the ceiling, you will see hundreds of cameras and sensors that are watching customers and they items the pick up. The Amazon Go system can track an individual, see which items they pick up, and then charge them for the items as they leave the store. Since I went after lunch, I was not looking for a prepackaged meal. There are a few different mugs & bottles available (featuring “Just Walk Out Shopping” text), but I decided to get a chocolate bar since I could easily carry that after I left the Amazon go store.
After you walk back through the security gates, there is a small seating area with tables, napkins, plastic utensils and trash cans. A few minutes after you walk out through the security gates, you will receive a bill for the items you purchased and your credit card will be charged. Even though the receipt has an Amazon order number, your orders will not show up in your Amazon.com orders section.
My guess is that Amazon will eventually convert all Whole Foods stores into Amazon Go stores, but that will probably be way down the road. The funny thing about visiting the Amazon Go store is that even though there are no cashiers, there were at least 10 Amazon employees both in front of the store (explaining how to set up your Amazon Go app) and inside the store (answering customer questions and restocking shelves). There were also 1-2 security guards to protect the store from thieves who could easily jump over the waist-high security gates, grab a few items, jump back over the security gates and run away.
Since there are several restaurants and convenience stores around San Francisco that offer similar prepackaged food, drinks, and snacks, I do not have a strong desire to walk 10-15 minutes to the Amazon Go store, when I could just walk down the block and get the same items. If they started carrying electronics or home goods (similar to what Amazon.com has), then I could see myself visiting more often. If you have any questions about the Amazon Go store, please leave a comment below. Have a great Halloween everyone!