Amazon may be set to bring its hi-tech till-free stores to the UK after registering the Amazon Go brand name in the UK last week. At the test store near Amazon’s HQ in Seattle, an app tracks customers as they walk about, recording the items they pick up and take away. The store is currently only available to company staff, but will open to shoppers signed up to the Amazon Prime service from next year. The cost of purchases will be automatically billed to their account.
The company has registered the Amazon Go trademark in the UK for an extensive list of potential uses, from technology, telecommunications and retail services to food and drink services and even pet food.
The retailer claims the Amazon Go store is “the world’s most advanced shopping technology” but other businesses are also trialling shop-assistant-free concepts. The Näraffär convenience store based in an isolated village in Sweden, for example, relies on a mobile app which lets residents access the store, scan their shopping and then pay via a monthly invoice. They’re part of a wave of new gadgetry which could dramatically change the way we shop:
Robot assistants
Some may argue that many stores __have these already, but retailers are moving on, with a view to replacing staff with sophisticated software.
The American DIY chain Lowe’s is testing LoweBot, a customer service robot that speaks several languages, helps shoppers find items and provides information on products. First trialled as OSHbot two years ago, it is currently being tested in 11 Lowe’s stores.
US electricals retailer Best Buy has Chloe, a robot that is a glorified grabber arm for CDs and DVDs, while Aldebaran Robotics, part of the Japanese telecoms firm Softbank, has created Pepper, a humanoid robot which has been deployed in some Nescafé stores in Japan.
Some US shopping centres are even adopting robotic security guards – a cross between a CCTV camera and a Dalek that can detect people who may be loitering in the wrong place and read car number plates in car parks. But it’s not all been straightforward: a robot guarding a shopping centre in California recently ran over a toddler after its navigational scanning systems failed to detect the small boy.
A virtual you
For many shoppers, buying clothes online is a very hit-and-miss affair. Sizes vary between outlets and getting the right fit means many clothing items are returned – which is bad for both the shopper and the shopkeeper. That could change thanks to new software that creates an accurate 3D model of the shopper, meaning it is possible to “try on” clothes.
Cambridge based startup Metail, which has raised $20m to date and is backed by Hong Kong clothing giant Tal, is setting the pace. The company’s technology can be plugged into retailers’ websites so customers can create what it calls “Me Models” as well as 3D images of the products on sale. Shoppers can then find out if a pair of tight jeans will give them a muffin top. Retailers will also be able to use customer data to suggest outfits, creating a “Netflix style” shopping experience.
Digital butlers
Doing the shopping may soon require nothing other than a shiny little box. Nearly all the major tech firms, including Amazon, Google, Apple and Facebook, are developing digital home assistants that respond to voice commands. As an online retailer, it’s not surprising that Amazon has ensured its Echo device is easy to shop with – thanks to the Alexa app, which lets you shout out a shopping list, to add to a virtual trolley, as you walk around the house.
Eventually these assistants should learn what you want and when you want it without commands. But these devices may be very shortlived – because home appliances like fridges, coffee machines and printers __have already been developed that are linked to the internet so they can automatically replenish themselves without any interaction with their owner.
Drone deliveries
As retail sales increasingly transfer from the high street to the internet, one of the biggest problems for retailers is making deliveries. In busy cities where traffic congestion is a problem, one solution already being tested is using drones. In the summer, Amazon started working with the UK government to test the viability of delivering small parcels – which make up 90% of Amazon’s sales – by drone.
In the US, Mercedes-Benz is collaborating with drone startup Matternet on the “Vision Van”, where a vehicle’s roof doubles as a launch pad for drones capable of sorties of up to 12 miles. Google has also shown off a fixed-wing drone capable of carrying packages.
However, beyond the special testing privileges granted to Amazon, current UK legislation bans drones from being flown within 50 metres of a building or a person, or within 150 metres of a built-up area. Aircraft pilots have also expressed concern about the dangers posed by drones after a number of near-misses in London and Manchester.
