Amazon opens first cashless grocery store in England

Amazon has also opened the first “just walk out” grocery store in the UK, where shoppers just take off the shelves what they need and leave without having to pay at a physical checkout. 

The “contactless” store, called Amazon Fresh, is in Ealing, West London, and is available to anyone who has an Amazon account and has the app up on their phone. Customers must scan a code on their mobile display when logging in.

Once they enter the store, shoppers can take the products they want to buy from any shelf without having to scan them somewhere or even go to a scythe. Sensors on shelves detect when an object is taken from there, while cameras and other technologies supported by artificial intelligence monitor the movement of individuals and selected goods. The invoice is automatically credited to the buyer’s Amazon account when they leave the store.

While shoppers don’t need to contact those who work there, the store employs a total of about 30 people, and there are also five employees on-site who help shoppers fill up shelves and prepare meals when needed. The approximately 230-square-foot store also has a counter to pick up other items purchased on Amazon, as well as a self-service coffee machine.

From the inside, the store is very similar to other grocery stores in terms of layout and range of products, except for the checkout of course. The deal was set to take place on Thursday morning, with dozens of curious shoppers and executives from rival chain stores, including Lidl and Tesco, appearing to try out the novel experience.