A few weeks ago, I was as Americans would say, ‘super excited’ to shop for the first time at the newly opened Amazon Go store near me. I felt like a child who was anxiously awaiting the reopening of school or impatiently waiting to open Christmas presents. With only my cellphone in hand and nothing else I walked a few feet from the parking lot and entered the future.
An employee, (yes, they exist) greeted me and had us scan a barcode from the Amazon Go app which facilitates all the stages of this shopping trip. I grabbed a cart and explored aisle by aisle to determine the variety of the offerings. Of course, I picked up some items to test the technology. I had to make sure these smart addicts, (cameras) could figure out what I took and in what quantities. I was impressed with their abilities.
If I lost you in my just completed rave, allow me to summarize the process for you. I downloaded the Amazon Go App, shopped, and bagged simultaneously and then walked out. My credit card was billed, and the receipt emailed to me. No cashiering involved.
So I went home, and as the adrenaline wore off I thought to myself, “this may not be the way I want to do grocery shopping”. Yes, it saves time, yes, it is convenient, but it does not feel right.
Anti-social
In the absence of cashiers, there is a loss of personal touch. Traditionally, there is rapport between customer and cashier during the checkout process. After some time, the two become what I will call ‘grocery buddies’, talking about more personal things than talking about my inability to find organic ketchup. They start to converse about their families, interests and maybe even their jobs. I know that cashiers are being replaced by self-checkouts, but cashiers remain for the time being.
Take it, Pay for it
One if the cardinal rules of shopping at the Amazon Go store is that you cannot get an item for another customers, or else it will be charged to your virtual cart account. In a traditional grocery store, it is considered civil to assist a fellow customer who is unable to reach an item that is high on a shelf. This is no-no at the Go Store, unless you wish to gift the item to the customer.
Easier to Overspend
Studies have shown that people tend to spend more money when paying using credit rather than cash because of the invisible nature of a credit card. That is unless you are tight with your money like I am, and so it matters not what form of payment I use. The concept of the Go Store means that you cannot change your mind about an item when you get the cashier. In addition, your first sighting of a receipt is after you have already arrived home and possibly started consuming the goods. So even if the prices are displayed on the store shelves, a total bill is only known after the fact. It is therefore easier to spend more than one intended since it is hard to keep track of the costs of the items you are buying.
No Coupons
As of now, coupons cannot be used as is the case with most grocery stores. For someone like me who loves deals and discounts, I hope it is something that they can incorporate via the app so that I can get some steals.
In the final analysis, my grocery shopping will be a mix of the traditional and the modern.
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