Amazon launches Just Walk Out tech website

Yesterday, we reported that Amazon was set to unveil a new business line selling the Just Walk Out technology which powers its Amazon Go stores.

The e-commerce giant has inked several deals with customers, according to a report by Reuters. And it has now launched a website, inviting others to inquire about the service.

“Just Walk Out technology enables shoppers to simply enter a store, grab what they want, and just go. Born from years of experience at Amazon Go, it uses a combination of technologies to eliminate checkout lines,” the website states. “We now offer retailers the ability to leverage this technology in their stores to help bring fast and convenient checkout experiences to more shoppers.”

Shrewd move?

“We all saw this coming; develop it, test and learn, launch, launch again in different store formats and then sell it to the global retailers,” retail tech veteran Steve Lister said in a LinkedIn post.

“Why would Amazon open their own stores? This is an incredible lesson in how you can throw a tonne of money at something and then sell it to all the retailers who wanted it. Great business model and will secure re-occurring revenues for decades to come. Shrewd move but what else did we expect from Amazon?”

Not everyone is a fan of the initiative, however. In a RTIH article published last month, discussing the launch of Amazon Go Grocery, Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant who has also worked at Amazon, Deloitte and Capgemini, commented: “The technology is expensive; other retailers will not licence it because they're not about to do anything to make Amazon even more successful.”

“And last but not least, Grabango and several other companies offer check-out free shopping solutions at a fraction of the cost.”