The End Of Supermarkets, As We Know Them?
Amazon fresh
On 27th August 2020 Amazon announced the first Amazon Fresh grocery store would open n Woodland Hills, California “which helps make a quick shopping trip even quicker by skipping the checkout line. Customers simply place their bags in the cart, sign in using their Fresh QR code in the Amazon app, shop, and exit through the Dash Cart lane to automatically complete their payment. The cart uses a combination of computer vision algorithms and sensor fusion to identify items put in the cart.”
Following a very successful trial, they launched another 15 stores, which now means in the United States, Amazon Fresh currently has 16 locations in the states of California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington along with Washington, D.C.
I blame McDonald’s, they are the ones that started convenience, if you have not seen it, watch The Founder. “The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers’ innovative fast food eatery, McDonald’s, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness”
One of my jobs as a team was working as a technical support consultant for an internet provider, even though the internet was a revelation, who would have thought back then with their 14.4mbps modem that online shopping would be so popular some 25 years later.
Most people these days, like it, or not shop online, it is all about convenience and the comfort of your own home, and with a few clicks you have finished your order and a delivery driver turns up in the next 24 hours to deliver your parcel.
Amazon has taken online shopping to the next level, you simply use your Amazon app, scan it on the way in, which is linked to your account with them.
Conduct your shopping as normal, as you place your items into your shopping bag and trolly, the AI technology scans the item and adds it to your bill, as you walk out of the shop Amazon charge your online account.
I must say, it is a brilliant system, however, there is a downside to our convenience, jobs, it simply cuts job, which affects our society in many different ways.
You can also shop online (obviously) but have to be an Amazon Prime member to do so, live within a certain postcode area and spend over £35 for free delivery, which most people will achieve.
On March 4th 2021, Amazon Fresh launched in the UK, it now has five Amazon Fresh stores:
- Amazon Fresh Chalk Farm, 86 Chalk Farm Road London, NW1 8AR
- Amazon Fresh White City, Unit 1.1A, Fountain Park Way London, W12 7NP
- Amazon Fresh Canary Wharf, 4 Water Street, Wood Wharf, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5GX
- Amazon Fresh Wembley Park, Unit 3 Wembley Park Boulevard London, HA9 0HP
- Amazon Fresh Ealing, 59 The Broadway London, W5 5JN
Living in the UK, I would like to get some views from our friends over the water in the USA, have you used these stores? what was your experience?
Although this is new for us, to my fellow friends in the UK, have you shopped in an Amazon Fresh supermarket yet? I would be interested to know your thoughts on the future of UK supermarket shopping.
Written by Robert Ralph
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