Article published on ZDnet April 15th
The two futuristic retail experiences offer a contrast in how advanced tech can be used to prepare beverages on the spot as well as eliminate the scourge of the checkout line. But humans are still in the picture for now.
Excerpt: he food and sundries available at Amazon Go aren’t the kinds of products typically associated with the retailer that one might find at one of its bookstores. These stores represent a futuristic but ultimately fractional part of the retailer’s push into groceries, the massive market that is developing into its fiercest battlefield with Walmart. Of course, its main incursion is via its Whole Foods supermarket acquisition. For now, Amazon seems more focused on reducing prices at the organics-focused chain. But the number of Go stores may soon rival or exceed the number of Whole Foods’ markets, as Amazon has announced plans to open thousands of the 7-Eleven competitors in the coming years as it contemplates smaller and larger versions that can accept filthy greenbacks.
