SEATTLE — Amazon's first cashier-free store in Seattle is now open to the public, nearly 14 months after it began a trial run for company employees.
The New York Times reports that customers enter the Amazon Go store via an app on their phones, which generates a QR code that is scanned on an electronic turnstile.
Cameras mounted on the ceiling do not have facial recognition technology, instead detecting motion and sensing depth to track shoppers through the store.
This, combined with weight sensors on the shelves, helps the system identify what items are being picked up by which shopper.
Once an item is taken off a shelf, it is added to a customer's virtual cart. If an item is picked up but later returned, the system removes it from the cart.
Once the customer finishes shopping and leaves the store, the cost of items in the cart is calculated, and the total amount charged directly to the linked Amazon account.
Despite having no checkout and no cashiers, the store has staff to check the IDs of shoppers purchasing alcohol. Employees are also on hand to restock shelves and prepare the store's ready-to-eat meals.
Amazon has said it might open more Amazon Go stores in the future, but the plans are not immediate, and the company wants to focus on its flagship store for now.
