Just Walk Out technology pioneered by Amazon seemed like it would change the future of grocery shopping. This week, Amazon said that it is going to be discontinued.
The Information revealed Tuesday that Amazon plans to open a new batch of grocery stores after an 18-month pause. Along with the expansion, it plans to discontinue the Just Walk Out technology.
To use this technology, customers were required to use their payment method to enter a store. It then allowed customers to simply shop and exit. That’s right – they didn’t even have to go through the self-checkout process – they were automatically charged based on camera footage of their shopping trip.
Amazon called it a “fast, frictionless way to shop without the hassle of checking out,” by utilizing “computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning.”
However, Bloomberg noted that it “doesn’t mention contractors,” even though the technology “partially relied on more than 1,000 people in India who were watching and labeling videos to make sure the checkouts were accurate.”
Per Ars Technica, the artificial intelligence-powered program that used data from 100-plus cameras never really worked or lived up to Amazon’s expectations.
“The Amazon story is a stark reminder that ‘artificial intelligence’ still often requires armies of human babysitters to work properly,” Bloomberg said.
Furthermore, shoppers don’t always seem too wild about skipping the checkout line.
“Customers just haven’t bought into cashier-less technology, especially in grocery stores where they purchase larger quantities and face extra tasks such as weighing produce,” said a report from CNN. “Amazon says the checkout technology may be more seamless in smaller stores – that could include the Amazon Go convenience stores.”
Amazon said that customer feedback was the reason it decided to end Just Walk Out at Amazon Fresh stores in an email referenced by USA Today.
Jessica Martin, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement that customers explained that “while they enjoyed the benefit of skipping the checkout line with Just Walk Out, they also wanted the ability to easily find nearby products and deals, view their receipt as they shop, and know how much money they saved while shopping throughout the store.”
“Retailers from Dollar General to Walmart and Costco are rethinking the reliance on self-checkout, as they find it leads to higher merchandise losses from customer mistakes and shoplifting,” said CNN.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to USA Today that Just Walk Out will only be removed from Amazon Fresh stores, not the company’s smaller Amazon Go locations.
“It also does not impact the more than 130 third-party retailers that Amazon partners with for use of its Just Walk Out technology at such locations as airports, college stores and cafes,” said the spokesperson.
USA Today said that 27 of the 40 Amazon Fresh stores in the U.S. have Just Walk Out technology.
According to The Information, Tony Hoggett – Amazon’s Senior Vice President of grocery stores – said in an interview that as the new Amazon Fresh stores are added, the existing stores will also be revamped and Just Walk Out technology will be removed. Going forward, Amazon Fresh stores will focus on a different technology called Dash Cart.
“The Dash Cart is a smart cart that makes grocery trips faster and more personalized than ever,” said Amazon of this feature. “Find items quickly and easily. Add, remove, and weigh items right in your Dash Cart. When you’re done shopping, skip the checkout line and roll out to your car.”
Amazon said customers can log in to the Dash Cart using a QR code from their grocer’s app. Once logged in, customers can scan items, place them in their cart and leave without going through the checkout line. Instead, they go through the Dash Cart line and pay automatically.
According to CNN, Amazon first opened Amazon Fresh stores in 2020, three years after it purchased Whole Foods, where it added cashier-less checkout options.
“In 2021, Amazon eliminated checkout lines in a full-sized, 25,000-square-foot Amazon fresh store in Washington state, and announced it was ramping up openings of the stores,” said the outlet. “But Amazon Fresh has faced setbacks since it debuted, including challenges getting shoppers to buy groceries in its Amazon Fresh grocery stores, and it laid off workers.”