Amazon launches UK grocery store
Customers will reportedly be able to leave the shop without paying, as an online bill is sent to their registered credit card
Amazon has opened its first physical store outside of the US, with an Amazon Fresh grocery shop in Ealing, London.
Selling prepared meals, groceries, and Amazon devices, the store will also include a counter for collecting and returning online orders.
The smart shop will rely on technology to guide the shopping experience, with shoppers’ purchases noted via ceiling cameras and shelf weight sensors.
A cashless store, consumers will gain access to the property via a smartphone QR code, with their registered credit card then being billed as they leave the shop.
Amazon told Sky News that the ‘just walk out’ technology uses “computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusion”.
Through this, it claims it is possible to judge even when a customer has placed an unwanted item back on the shelves.
The size of the Ealing outlet generally matches what is seen in the US with Amazon’s Go Grocery and Fresh stores, as smaller properties are preferred over larger supermarkets.
However, Amazon does operate two full-size Go Grocery shops out of its two dozen in management.
Retail Sector has contacted Amazon for further comment.
