How Amazon Go will revolutionize retail convenience

Amazon Go stopped the world in its tracks. The Dec. 5 introduction of Amazon's revolutionary convenience store looms among the most surprising and compelling retail announcements in recent memory: The Seattle pilot location -- which Amazon describes as "roughly 1,800 square feet of retail space that is conveniently compact, so busy customers can get in and out fast" -- advances far beyond existing self-checkout systems by eliminating the checkout process entirely. Amazon Go offers c-store staples like milk and bread, along with meals and snacks made by on-site chefs and local suppliers, as well as Amazon Meal Kits. Shoppers (a segment currently comprised exclusively of Amazon employees) scan a QR-code based mobile application upon entering the store. The e-commerce giant's Just Walk Out technology then detects when items are removed from or returned to store shelves, tracking purchases in a virtual cart, and totals the final cost when customers exit the premises.