Amazon has decided to discontinue the cashier-less “Just Walk Out” technology at its Amazon Fresh grocery stores, as reported by The Information. The new stores will no longer incorporate computer-vision-powered surveillance technology, and the existing stores will have this technology removed from “the majority” of them. Initially, Amazon had envisioned expanding the Just Walk Out technology to other physical stores, but the system faced significant challenges and never functioned as intended.
Just Walk Out was designed to enable customers to freely select items in the store and exit without going through a traditional checkout process. Amazon aimed to monitor customers’ selected items solely through AI-driven video surveillance, where a quick phone scan at the exit would later result in billing through their Amazon accounts.
Upon its announcement in 2016, Amazon highlighted the integration of advanced machine learning, computer vision, and AI technologies into the store environment to eliminate waiting in line. The store was equipped with over 100 cameras and precise item placements, all geared towards facilitating AI-powered computer vision checkout.
However, a report from The Information in May 2023 shed light on the persistent technical issues Amazon faced with Just Walk Out even six years after its inception. The report revealed that Amazon had a team of over 1,000 individuals in India dedicated to the project, involving manual transaction reviews and image labeling to train the machine learning model.
Despite the essential training processes in AI development, Amazon struggled to make substantial advancements, with Just Walk Out necessitating approximately 700 human reviews per 1,000 sales by mid-2022—significantly higher than the internal target of 20 to 50 reviews per 1,000 sales. The report also highlighted Amazon’s challenges in reducing the reliance on human intervention, leading to delays in providing receipts to customers.
The Just Walk Out technology had been implemented in 20 Amazon Go stores, 40 Amazon Fresh grocery stores, and two Whole Foods locations. Additionally, it had been adopted by third-party establishments, including stores in sports stadiums, airports, and a university in Arlington, Virginia.
In a strategic shift, Amazon will transition to a more practical cashier-less approach by introducing shopping carts equipped with checkout screens and scanners. Customers can conveniently scan items while placing them in the “Amazon Dash Cart,” allowing them to monitor their purchases in real-time. This new system eliminates the need for a large workforce to maintain store organization for camera-based surveillance.
Amazon provided a statement emphasizing the positive outcomes of redesigning Amazon Fresh stores to enhance the shopping experience, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and purchasing. The introduction of Amazon Dash Cart aims to offer customers a seamless shopping experience with added features such as locating products, accessing deals, viewing receipts, and tracking savings while shopping throughout the store.
As per Amazon’s statement and recent updates, the Amazon Fresh stores will no longer utilize the Just Walk Out technology. Image source: Amazon
