Amazon’s grocery technology has been a topic of discussion following layoffs in the Amazon Web Services group responsible for the company’s physical store checkout and identity services. The company is moving away from its “Just Walk Out” technology in its larger grocery stores and focusing on Dash Carts, which also allow shoppers to skip the checkout line but currently require scanning or manually entering items as they go. Dilip Kumar, vice president of AWS applications, clarified the company’s strategy, stating that a new generation of Dash Carts is being developed to improve user experience.
Despite phasing out the Just Walk Out technology in larger grocery stores, Amazon is still investing in and expanding it for smaller stores and third-party venues. Kumar emphasized that humans are annotating and training the AI behind Just Walk Out, rather than watching through cameras to tally up shoppers’ bills. Amazon associates are responsible for labeling and annotating data, with the amount of human involvement decreasing as the accuracy of the algorithms improves. Examples of increased transactions and sales at venues using Just Walk Out were cited in the blog post.
Amazon decided to focus on Dash Carts at its larger grocery stores due to the significant costs of the Just Walk Out infrastructure in these settings, which require a large number of cameras and sensors throughout the store. Dash Carts can scale with the number of customers and align better with customer preferences in that retail format. The features of the smart cart, such as tracking spending, viewing item locations, and using coupons, cater to the needs of customers in grocery stores during larger trips, where time savings may not be as vital.
The Dash Cart, which debuted in 2020 at Amazon Fresh stores and has since expanded to some Whole Foods locations, features built-in sensors and scanners that allow shoppers to register items as they place them in the cart. Amazon has begun expanding the Dash Cart to all Amazon Fresh stores and third-party grocers, with Price Chopper and McKeever’s Market stores testing the technology in Kansas and Missouri. While the decision to focus on Dash Carts for continued investment has been made, Amazon remains committed to its plans for Just Walk Out technology in other locations.
In response to feedback about the current version of the Dash Cart being complicated and buggy, Kumar acknowledged the issues and stated that Amazon is working on developing the next version of the cart to address these concerns. The next generation of Amazon Dash Carts aims to provide a more familiar and intuitive shopping experience, with features such as a lighter and easier-to-maneuver cart, a bigger basket, and improved item addition process. The company did not specify a timeline for the rollout of the new carts but emphasized its goal of making the shopping experience as effortless and seamless as possible.
Overall, Amazon’s focus on enhancing its grocery technology, particularly with the development of new Dash Carts and continued investment in Just Walk Out technology for smaller stores and third-party venues, reflects the company’s commitment to innovation and improving the customer experience. By addressing feedback and evolving its technology to meet customer preferences and needs, Amazon continues to lead in the grocery technology space and drive advancements in the industry.
