Amazon Go says it’s bringing in repeat customers

Since the first cashierless Amazon Go convenience store opened in Seattle on Jan. 22, Amazon has been tracking whether individual customers return to the store, according to an article published March 18 on Reuters.com. “So far, the verdict is they keep coming back,” the article stated.

Amazon executives shared insights during a panel discussion at the Shoptalk e-commerce conference March 18-21 in Las Vegas. According to Reuters, Amazon Go Vice President Gianna Puerini said that people who work very close to the store will stop by “just to grab a drink because it’s so fast and easy.”

An article on USNews.com added that Amazon Go’s best-selling item is chicken sandwiches. Fresh fruit and meal kits are popular as well. The 1,800-square-foot store also sells a number of private brand items in Whole Foods Market’s 365 Everyday Value line.

The technology that makes cashierless checkout possible also enables Amazon to easily track customers’ shopping behavior in real time and identify their return visits to the store.

Customers who download the Amazon Go app are able to shop in the Seattle store without using a credit or debit card or cash or waiting in line. The smart phone app, which the customer taps upon entering the store — along with sophisticated artificial intelligence technology and hundreds of cameras — monitors the customer’s moves and the items he or she removes from the shelves and charges the shopper’s Amazon account accordingly. If customers change their mind and place items back on the shelf, the charges are automatically removed from the bill.

In addition, Amazon Go does not have shopping carts or baskets. Shoppers simply place the items in whatever bag they plan to use to take their purchases home or to the office.

Amazon has stated that it plans to open five more Amazon Go stores this year.