Amazon is set to usher in the next generation of “smart” convenience stores with the launch of its Amazon Go concept, replacing traditional checkouts with smart technology. The store concept works by automatically logging purchases to the user’s Amazon account when a product is removed from the shelf — what Amazon calls “Just Walk Out” technology.
The first store in Seattle is in beta testing with Amazon employees and is expected to open to the public in early 2017. But the Wall Street Journal reports that the retail giant is considering 2,000 such stores in the U.S. alone.
The impact this will have on the refrigeration market is still unclear. However, it will affect store design, enabling more display area to be used, and the refrigerated display case itself, which will incorporate sensors. But it is a clear indication that electronics technology is increasingly challenging the conventional display refrigeration concept as reported in the November Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Magazine in the Chillventa report.
Content for the European Spotlight is provided courtesy of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Magazine, London. For more information, visit www.racplus.com.
Publication date: 12/19/2016
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