I’m a stickler for formalities. I say “thank you” when someone holds a door for me, I always tip my server, and I never forget to hand out favors when I am the party host. So when Amazon announced a cashier-less convenience store, you can image my skepticism. Leaving a store without speaking to an employee and being handed a receipt lacks certain convention.
But when Amazon Go opened a location on the corner of Post and Kearny Streets, I decided to give the concept a try. Not only is the store on the route to my office, this convenience store offers ready-to-eat breakfasts, lunches, and snacks which are perfect for hectic days when I can’t leave the office.
Walking through the automatic front doors, the first thing I notice are white turnstiles. To get through them, I simply open the Amazon Go mobile app and allow the mechanism to scan my phone.
And just like that, I have free rein of the store under the careful watch of Amazon Go’s tracking technology. The website and app assured me that it would keep track of items I picked up and manage an electric “cart” for me.
For breakfast, I pluck an Apple Chausson off the bakery shelf. I’m delighted to see that it’s made by La Boulangerie de San Francisco, one of my favorite local bakeries. Tucking it into the canvas shopping bag I brought with me, I move over to a shelf with premade lunches. I select the Sweet Potato Curry with Lime Leaf Rice before a familiar logo catches my eye: dosa by DOSA.
Suddenly, my mouth is watering. dosa by DOSA is my one of my favorite spots to grab a quick and easy Indian meal. I didn’t even know this restaurant made ready-to-eat meals, or that Amazon Go carried products from them.
Carefully, I place the Sweet Potato Curry back on the shelf. The tracking technology knows when I put an item back on the shelf and automatically removes it from my “cart”.
Perusing the dosa by DOSA offerings, I choose a package with spiced salmon, potatoes, haricot vert, organic greens, and a side of dill yogurt dressing.
I’m about to stroll back through the white turnstile when I notice the Amazon Meal-Kits. Similar to a meal-kit service, the little boxes contain everything you need to cook a complete dinner. On a whim, I add the Lemongrass Steak with Cucumber-Tomato Salad to my canvas bag and then walk out without speaking to anyone.
Halfway to the office, I feel my phone buzz – it’s an email from Amazon Go with the receipt from my last visit. I quickly review the slip and, sure enough, the store didn’t charge me for the item I put back. If shopping at Amazon Go is always this simple, I can see this becoming part of my daily routine.
*Store photos provided by Amazon and are not location specific