Amazon has opened a brick-and-mortar grocery store in Seattle that doesn&rsquo;t require people to queue up at checkout counters, kicking off new competition with supermarket chains.

Called Amazon Go, the 1,800-square-foot (167-square-meter) store uses sensors to detect what items shoppers have picked off the shelves and sends a bill to their Amazon accounts if they do not replace them.

&ldquo;Amazon Go is a new kind of store with no checkout required. We created the world&rsquo;s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. With our Just Walk Out Shopping experience, simply use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and go! No lines, no checkout,&rdquo; says Amazon.
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Amazon Go is available now for employees of the company and is expected to be open to the public early next year, Amazon said.

The store marks Amazon&#39;s latest push into groceries, one of the biggest retail categories it has yet to master. Apart from groceries such as bread and milk, the store also offers ready-to-eat meals made fresh by on-site chefs and local kitchens and bakeries.

If tests are successful, Amazon plans to open more than 2,000 grocery stores, reported the Wall Street Journal. The company is considering other store formats, including one that would let drivers pick up goods at the curbside, the report said. Amazon, however, declined to comment on the report.

&quot;The checkout lines are always the most inefficient parts of the store experience,&quot; said Neil Saunders, managing director of retail research firm Conlumino. &quot;Not only would you save a lot on labour costs, you actually would make the process much quicker for consumers and much more satisfying,&rdquo; he added.

Amazon Go is not the first physical store for the e-commerce company to open. It has a book store in Seattle, as well as pop-ups at malls where it displays Amazon devices such as the Kindle.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Customers are not expected to pay before leaving the store

Amazon has opened a brick-and-mortar grocery store in Seattle that doesn’t require people to queue up at checkout counters, kicking off new competition with supermarket chains. Called Amazon Go, the 1,800-square-foot (167-square-meter) store uses sensors to detect what items shoppers have picked off the shelves and sends a bill to their Amazon accounts if they do not replace them. “Amazon Go is a new kind of store with no checkout required. We created the world’s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. With our Just Walk Out Shopping experience, simply use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and go! No lines, no checkout,” says Amazon. Amazon Go is available now for employees of the company and is expected to be open to the public early next year, Amazon said. The store marks Amazon's latest push into groceries, one of the biggest retail categories it has yet to master. Apart from groceries such as bread and milk, the store also offers ready-to-eat meals made fresh by on-site chefs and local kitchens and bakeries. If tests are successful, Amazon plans to open more than 2,000 grocery stores, reported the Wall Street Journal. The company is considering other store formats, including one that would let drivers pick up goods at the curbside, the report said. Amazon, however, declined to comment on the report. "The checkout lines are always the most inefficient parts of the store experience," said Neil Saunders, managing director of retail research firm Conlumino. "Not only would you save a lot on labour costs, you actually would make the process much quicker for consumers and much more satisfying,” he added. Amazon Go is not the first physical store for the e-commerce company to open. It has a book store in Seattle, as well as pop-ups at malls where it displays Amazon devices such as the Kindle. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Amazon opens grocery store with no checkout counters

Instagram on Tuesday said it will start testing features that let smartphone or tablet users easily buy items they find on the popular photo and video sharing service.

The test slated to begin next week in the US will be tailored for Instagram applications on Apple mobile devices, according to a blog post by the Facebook-owned service.

The move will build on a strategy by the world&#39;s leading online social network to connect shoppers and shops, earning revenue from purchases.

&quot;Mobile has changed the way people shop,&quot; Instagram said in the blog post

&quot;We&#39;re excited to announce an easier experience to shop the products you love on Instagram.&quot;

Instagram cited industry statistics indicating that smartphone purchases are commonly used in the US to browse or research options regarding potential purchases.

Twenty US retailers including Kate Spade and JackThreads will take part in the Instagram e-commerce test, sharing posts that provide more information along with &quot;Shop Now&quot; icons for streamlined purchasing, according to the blog post.

&quot;This test is going to change the scope of what we, as retailers, are capable of offering on mobile,&quot; JackThreads chief marketing officer Ryan McIntyre said in the post.

&quot;Our customers will be able to shop seamlessly from their social media feeds -- allowing us to reach guys where they&rsquo;re already hunting for what&rsquo;s new.&quot;

Rival firm Pinterest last year dove into e-commerce with &quot;pins&quot; that let people buy items they like at the popular online bulletin board.

Pinterest became a hit, particularly among women, by giving people virtual bulletin boards that they can decorate with pictures showcasing interests in anything from food to sports, to fashion or travel.

(AFP)

Instagram cited industry statistics indicating that smartphone purchases are commonly used in the US to browse or research options

Instagram on Tuesday said it will start testing features that let smartphone or tablet users easily buy items they find on the popular photo and video sharing service. The test slated to begin next week in the US will be tailored for Instagram applications on Apple mobile devices, according to a blog post by the Facebook-owned service. The move will build on a strategy by the world's leading online social network to connect shoppers and shops, earning revenue from purchases. "Mobile has changed the way people shop," Instagram said in the blog post "We're excited to announce an easier experience to shop the products you love on Instagram." Instagram cited industry statistics indicating that smartphone purchases are commonly used in the US to browse or research options regarding potential purchases. Twenty US retailers including Kate Spade and JackThreads will take part in the Instagram e-commerce test, sharing posts that provide more information along with "Shop Now" icons for streamlined purchasing, according to the blog post. "This test is going to change the scope of what we, as retailers, are capable of offering on mobile," JackThreads chief marketing officer Ryan McIntyre said in the post. "Our customers will be able to shop seamlessly from their social media feeds -- allowing us to reach guys where they’re already hunting for what’s new." Rival firm Pinterest last year dove into e-commerce with "pins" that let people buy items they like at the popular online bulletin board. Pinterest became a hit, particularly among women, by giving people virtual bulletin boards that they can decorate with pictures showcasing interests in anything from food to sports, to fashion or travel. (AFP)

Facebook-owned Instagram getting into shopping

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Amazon opens grocery store with no checkout counters

Facebook-owned Instagram getting into shopping