Amazon Opens Second Whole Foods Store With Just Walk Out
Amazon has added Just Walk Out autonomous checkout technology to a second Whole Foods store in Sherman Oaks, California, about a month after debuting the platform at a new store in Washington, D.C., according to a Chain Store Age report Wednesday (March 16).
Just Walk Out uses a combination of computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning, allowing shoppers to fill their carts and skip the checkout line.
While it was originally available only in Amazon Go convenience and small-format grocery stores, the company recently added Just Walk Out to a handful of Amazon Fresh high-tech grocery locations though a third-party retail license.
Just Walk Out shoppers can scan the QR code in the Whole Foods Market or Amazon app, hover their palm using the Amazon One palm-based payment system or insert a credit or debit card linked to their Amazon account.
Whole Foods customers who want to use cash, prepaid cards, Whole Foods Market gift cards, EBT or eWic can use the self-checkout lanes. Just Walk Out customers will get a digital receipt in the Whole Foods Market app.
The new Just Walk Out-equipped Whole Foods store emphasizes local products from California, according to the report.
It features include a juice bar with smoothies, fresh juices, acai bowls and a variety of hot and cold coffee drinks, as well as a full-service seafood counter, full-service butcher, a prepared foods section with a deli counter and hot and cold food bars.
It also has a specialty department offering an array of cheese selections, a selection of more 600 beers and wines, a bakery and a wellness and beauty section, per the report.
Related: Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ Whole Foods Store Opens as Frictionless Checkout Takes Hold
In February, Amazon debuted Just Walk Out in the Washington, D.C., Whole Foods location. Amazon is also working on extending its frictionless checkout technology into suburban markets through its Amazon Go convenience store brand.
Coffeehouse giant Starbucks and United Kingdom grocer Sainsbury’s have also partnered with Amazon to power their frictionless stores.