Amazon Fresh turns to autonomous checkout

Shoppers of the company's new Bellevue, Wash. store will also have the option to pay at a traditional checkout

Canadian Grocer staff

6/15/2021

The outside of an Amazon Fresh grocery store

Amazon is about to disrupt the grocery landscape yet again.

The company is bringing is checkout technology to its Amazon Fresh grocery chain, which currently has a footprint of 13 stores.

Starting June 17, shoppers of the company's new 25,000-square-foot Amazon Fresh store in Bellevue, Wash. can purchase items from such departments as produce, meat, seafood, prepared foods, and bakery, with the option to skip the checkout line.

Customers will also have the option to use traditional checkout lanes, staffed by Amazon employees, who will be available throughout the store for assistance.

This is the first time Amazon's Just Walk Out technology will be available in a full-size grocery store. Amazon introduced cashierless shopping in 2018 through its Amazon Go chain of convenience stores.

Just Walk Out technology was also available at the company's mid-sized grocery store chain Amazon Go Grocery, which Amazon recently said would be rebranded to Amazon Fresh for consistency across its grocery offering.