Amazon has announced it will stop pursuing autonomous “Just Walk Out” technology that uses artificial intelligence to allow shoppers to pick up items and have bills charged directly to their accounts.
The company said in an email that it made the decision to discontinue the technology, which is available in Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, after receiving customer feedback.
“We have spent a lot of time over the last year redesigning many of our Amazon Fresh stores to provide more value, convenience, and a comprehensive shopping experience. “We're seeing positive results, including an increase in shopping satisfaction scores and purchases,” Amazon spokeswoman Jessica Martin said in a statement. “Customers also told us that with Just Walk Out they enjoyed the benefits of not having to wait in line at the checkout line, but also being able to easily find products and sales near them, see their receipts as they shop, and see how much they spent. We also heard that they wanted the ability to save while shopping in-store.”
Martin said Amazon is instead focusing on an AI-powered shopping cart known as Dash Cart.
“To provide even more convenience to our customers, we are rolling out Amazon Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that allows customers to enjoy all of these benefits, including skipping the checkout line. ” Martin added.
The company said it will continue to offer Just Walk Out in Amazon Go stores, smaller Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, and third-party retailers.
As recently as January, Amazon announced that it had installed the technology at St. Joseph/Candler Hospital's Candler Hospital campus in Savannah, Georgia, making it the first hospital to do so. “We look forward to bringing Just Walk Out technology and our employee badge payment capabilities to more healthcare facilities,” the company said in January.
At the time, Amazon said its Just Walk Out technology was installed in more than 120 third-party locations in the U.S. and U.K., including airports, stadiums, university campuses, grocery and convenience stores, theme parks, and cafes. Australia and Canada. Amazon said in its January press announcement that the technology is also used in dozens of Amazon-owned stores.
In an announcement Tuesday, the company confirmed it will be removing Just Walkout technology from recently renovated Amazon Fresh stores in Chicago and Southern California.
“To provide a better shopping experience, we've brought redesigned stores with expanded selection, lower prices on more groceries, and increased convenience with updated checkout options. We're pleased that our changes are resonating with our customers. As part of these updates, we're removing Just Walk Out technology in favor of Amazon Dash Cart, our smart shopping cart.” Ta.
