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Amazon Go is Revolutionizing Retail

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We’ve all been there, waiting in a long check-out line thinking to ourselves, will this line ever move? Unfortunately, waiting is at times an unavoidable hassle, one that never gets easier or goes by faster. Over the last 12 months, 86% of adult customers polled have left a store because of long lines. Walkouts are a big reason that self-checkout is becoming a fixture in many stores. Amazon has taken the concept of self-checkout to an entirely new level, “no checkout shopping.” Amazon Go revolutionizes how shoppers checkout and introduces frictionless shopping. Unfortunately, there are only a few Amazon Go locations currently up and running, but Amazon plans to open 3,000 stores by 2021.

 

That’s right, the soft cries and agonizing pain you endure when waiting in long check-out lines will soon be over. But that isn’t even the best part, rather the technology Amazon employs is the real star. Amazon Go’s “Just Walk Out” technology employs a mixture of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to make your shopping experience stand out. Every aisle is equipped with cameras that utilize machine learning and computer vision and can detect when items are taken and placed into your virtual shopping cart. No wonder nearly 75% of 1,000 U.S. consumers polled said they would be “extremely likely” or “very likely” to shop at an Amazon Go store if one opened nearby.

 

But what is Amazon Go?

Here’s how it works:

  • Begin by downloading the free Amazon Go app before entering the store.
  • Upon arrival, you must scan the Amazon Go app that produces a QR code and verifies your membership.
  • When inside, you may browse the selection of ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and healthy snacks.
  • Once you have everything you need you simply walk out, checkout-free.
  • Shortly after exiting, a receipt is sent with your purchases listed through email.

Now ask yourself, what’s not to love about this new, reinvented IoT style of grocery shopping?

 

The Highs and Lows

The convenience of Amazon Go can’t be beat, but for every pro, there is a con. The downside of Amazon Go is its role as “Big Brother.” Dozens of cameras installed throughout the store employ machine learning algorithms to follow your every move – where you go, what you pick up, and what you put down.

With higher profile data privacy breaches on the rise, very little information regarding the privacy and security or Amazon Go’s video surveillance has been discussed. Of course, Amazon is quick to assure customers that they do not employ facial recognition and that their purchase activity will remain private. By installing a network of cameras, Amazon can always track a customer and ensures each shopper is billed the correct items. This revolutionary approach creates a frictionless shopping experience, bringing together the best of both the digital and physical worlds for retail shoppers.

 

What Does this Mean for Retail Stores?

With new technology comes new challenges for retailers, and this style of shopping could have potential consequences for brick-and-mortar shops. As more retailers deploy in-store technology, they are intensifying their existing mobility management challenges, and introducing new ones. The IoT is projected to take off, and soon we will see tens of billions of connected devices gravitating towards the retail supply chain and inside stores. This could lead to challenges around compliance, security and management. Retail chains need a solution that they can rely on to ensure end-to-end security and management of mobile devices and IoT endpoints.

 

Propagating the Success

Retail is not the only industry to employ IoT technology. Finance, Healthcare, Transportation and Logistics are embracing the IoT and beginning to take advantage of the wealth and growth it provides. For example, the Finance industry uses IoT to increase transparency, gaining real-time data on their customers and secure payment transactions.

In Healthcare, the IoT is seen as a safeguard to protect and keep customer information secure, monitor patient diagnosis through wearables, and participate in online consultations rather than face-to-face medical appointments.

And the Transportation and Logistics industry employ IoT to improve the reliability and speed of shipping goods – being able to track location, sense environments and connect vehicles.

 

Securing and managing all this new technology is more important than ever, and SOTI understands the importance of keeping data secure and delivering solutions each of these industries can count on. SOTI ONE – an integrated suite of mobility and IoT solutions keeps your business-critical mobility safe, secure and reliable. Each solution in the SOTI ONE Platform solves one of today’s toughest mobility challenges and drives new innovation to help reinvent your business. Visit our SOTI ONE Platform page to learn more on how we can manage and secure all your business-critical mobility devices and IoT endpoints.