Amazon opened its first Chicago cashierless Amazon Go store on Monday in the Loop, selling ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options for those looking for a quick bite.
The 2,000-square-foot store, at 113 S. Franklin St., operates on a cashierless model, which allows shoppers to scan their phones using the Amazon Go app at a turnstile when they enter the store, grab their food, and leave without swiping a credit card or handling cash. Instead, the transaction is charged to shoppers’ Amazon accounts.
Amazon knows which items to charge shoppers for because cameras and other sensors track them as they browse. After they leave, customers will receive a receipt of their purchases to verify what Amazon charged them for.
"The reason Amazon Go exists is because we wanted to create what we refer to as the ultimate grab and go experience," said Dilip Kumar, vice president of technology for Amazon Go and Amazon Books. "People can get in and out as quickly as they possible can."
The new store in Chicago is the fourth that Amazon has opened, but the first outside of Seattle, where its headquarters are. Inside, shoppers will find salads, sandwiches and wraps, in addition to Amazon-made meal kits, which can make a meal for two in about 30 minutes. The store sells familiar convenience store brands, but also local food brands like Fairgrounds and Farmer’s Fridge.
The store has Amazon staff on site to help customers get accustomed to the store and stock the shelves, but Kumar declined to specify how many. Kumar said Amazon doesn't currently have any specific plans to open other Amazon Go stores in Chicago.
The high-tech stores are just the latest brick-and-mortar push from Amazon. Just last year, Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market in an attempt to get more of its online shoppers into physical stores.
The Chicago Amazon Go store, on the first floor of the building complex home to Amazon’s Chicago office, is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
"It's a great location because it's right in the heart of the Loop, and there's amazing foot traffic [and] great urban office density," Kumar said. "Come and see how effortless your shopping experience can truly be."
