Is Amazon's Cashierless Future Shrinking?

It seems like Amazon is scaling back its ambitious plans for cashierless stores. Last week, the tech giant closed three of its Go convenience stores in New York, leaving only 17 such stores nationwide – although they did just open one in Washington. Since 2023, Amazon has reduced its Go storefronts by nearly half. These stores use AI to track what customers pick up, allowing them to grab items and go without a formal checkout. But it's not all bad news for the Just Walk Out technology.

Earlier this year, Amazon removed the tech from its grocery stores, saying it wanted to focus on smaller, grab-and-go shops – even if those aren't their own. Amazon is still committed to the Go format and technology, but maybe not in the way they initially envisioned. They're now licensing Just Walk Out to lots of third-party convenience stores. It's an interesting shift that raises questions about how much we really want or need cashierless shopping.

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