Amazon considers opening thousands of cashierless convenience stores

The first Amazon Go store opened in Seattle in 2016. The company is considering open 3,000 in total. BLOOMBERG

The first Amazon Go store opened in Seattle in 2016. The company is considering open 3,000 in total. BLOOMBERG

Amazon is reportedly considering opening 3,000 Amazon Go stores across the nation by 2021.

Anonymous sources told Bloomberg the company wants to reinvent the brick-and-mortar shopping experience with more of the convenience-type stores that sell fresh snacks and limited supplies of groceries.

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There are currently only public plans for four stores, three in Seattle and one in Chicago. The first one opened in Seattle near the online giant’s headquarters in 2016.

The cashierless stores sell salads, sandwiches and snacks, and two of them offer a few grocery items. Customers use a smartphone app to enter the stores, and can leave without any further interaction. Sensors and computer vision technology detect what shoppers take and bills them automatically.

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The company will target populations with young people willing to spend a little more than they do on fast food for healthier alternatives, Bloomberg reported, citing the anonymous sources.

Amazon has recently taken steps to enter the brick-and-mortar market with its purchase of Whole Foods Market last year.

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