How autonomous retail technology stopped being an experiment and started becoming infrastructure
Earlier this year, we reported that Amazon was binning its Go and Fresh physical stores experiment. In an online post, it said: “While we've seen encouraging signals in our Amazon branded physical grocery stores, we haven't yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large scale expansion.”
“After a careful evaluation of the business and how we can best serve customers, we've made the difficult decision to close our Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods Market stores.”
“Customers can continue to shop Amazon Fresh online in available areas for fast and convenient delivery. We're grateful to our team members for their many contributions over the years and are working whenever possible to help them find roles elsewhere in Amazon, including across our vast operations network, as we make this transition.”
This is one of the most misunderstood stories in retail, according to Reckon.ai, whose AI technology transforms existing infrastructure, such as cabinets, fridges and shelves, into smart, autonomous assets. In a LinkedIn post, it said: “Amazon promised a future where you could grab what you wanted and walk out. Then it removed Just Walk Out from its larger grocery stores. The headlines were quick to declare the experiment over.”
They missed, however, that Just Walk Out technology is now a scalable checkout-free shopping operating in hundreds of third-party locations across various countries. Building on this, Amazon is expanding Just Walk Out to its own operations, with more than 40 North American fulfillment centres using it in breakrooms today, and many more planned for 2026, helping employees grab meals without checkout delays.
Reckon.ai added: “While Amazon changed course in large grocery stores, it doubled down elsewhere, licensing the technology to stadiums, airports, hospitals, campuses and other high traffic locations. At the same time, a whole ecosystem of autonomous retail companies (including AiFi, Sensei, Trigo, and Zippin) kept building, refining and deploying. The idea didn't collapse when the pioneer changed course. It evolved.”
Autonomous retail didn’t fail. Rather, the technology evolved and industry discovered where it creates the most value, Reckon.ai argues. The early bet was right about the concept yet maybe not spot on yet in terms of the fit. Cashierless shopping thrives in fast, mission driven environments where speed and convenience matter most, not in the complexity of a weekly grocery shop.
Once that lesson became clear, autonomous retail stopped being an experiment and started becoming infrastructure. So the people who wrote it off a few years ago weren't necessarily wrong. But they judged a moment that has since moved on. The version they dismissed isn't the one operating in offices, hospitals, hotels, stadiums and airports today.
Reckon.ai concluded: “If your view of autonomous retail is still shaped by headlines from a few years ago, it may be worth another look. The question has quietly shifted from, can this actually work? to, where does this actually create value for us? The technology isn't looking for every retail format anymore. It's looking for the right ones.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Autonomous stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
