Amazon Go

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storewanderer
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by storewanderer »

babs wrote: September 20th, 2018, 3:00 pm
arizonaguy wrote: September 20th, 2018, 1:27 pm
Brian Lutz wrote: September 20th, 2018, 7:52 am And here come the floodgates:

https://komonews.com/news/business/plan ... us-by-2021

Sources claim that Amazon is looking at opening as many as 3,000 Amazon Go stores across the country within the next three years. Somehow I can't see this ending well...
It depends. I could see Amazon acquiring a convenience store chain for these 3000 stores.
I don't see them doing that. Most convenience stores are known for terrible service, dirty stores and have a lousy reputation for bad coffee and unhealthy snacks. Starting from scratch would be a better idea.
There are some good convenience store chains. They just aren't on the west coast. Quik Trip, Wawa, and Sheetz come to mind. Maverik for honorable mention in the Intermountain states but with its share of execution issues, they at least have the right store concept.

The Amazon concept sounds like more of a threat to quick service takeaway style restaurant formats to me (like Panera or Subway type places, or what little business Starbucks does for prepackaged prepared foods which is actually quite a bit in some large cities) for take out business, but not necessarily dine in type business. Many convenience stores generate at least 25% of their revenue from tobacco and I don't think Amazon is planning to sell tobacco...?
Brian Lutz
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by Brian Lutz »

Apparently Amazon Go (and the other various Amazon stores such as the B&M bookstores) are facing a backlash over customers not having the ability to pay in cash, with claims that it discriminates against people without bank accounts or credit cards:

https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/ ... ess-stores

The State of New Jersey and the city of Philadelphia have now banned cashless stores, and others may follow. For their part, Amazon is adding the ability to pay in cash at these stores (although what form this will take remains to be seen.)
lola42
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by lola42 »

Brian Lutz wrote: April 10th, 2019, 10:11 am The State of New Jersey and the city of Philadelphia have now banned cashless stores, and others may follow.
And now San Francisco...
https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/san- ... -amazon-go
storewanderer
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by storewanderer »

lola42 wrote: May 12th, 2019, 4:21 pm
Brian Lutz wrote: April 10th, 2019, 10:11 am The State of New Jersey and the city of Philadelphia have now banned cashless stores, and others may follow.
And now San Francisco...
https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/san- ... -amazon-go
Why are cashless stores banned but cashless toll roads are okay?

Oh well.

Probably not on topic for this forum.
Alpha8472
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by Alpha8472 »

The San Francisco stores are very much like mini-Whole Foods stores. They feature many prepared sandwiches, salads, pastries, etc. at high prices. However, the quality is very good and there are many local items from San Francisco area bakeries and restaurants. There are refrigerated cases with expensive but high quality tv dinners. I would rate this store as an upscale convenience store combined with Whole Foods.

Not accepting cash was used to keep out the homeless who have raided local CVS stores to the point that they had to shut down. Now that you can enter without scanning your Amazon app, they have no choice but to let the homeless in. Now the shoplifting can begin. This is not going to work. These cash accepting stores are going to suffer major losses and will probably shut down.

Employees used to stand around and only let in those who have the Amazon app.

The end is near for these stores.
storewanderer
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by storewanderer »

I continue to find it very ironic that a city will tell a privately owned retail business what forms of payment it must accept. However that same city is perfectly fine with a privately owned bridge (Golden Gate Bridge) that is cashless and will not accept cash payments.

All this about restricting access to goods, seriously, there are a lot of other retailers out there that accept cash.

But the bridge... it is sort of hard to avoid that one unless you want to drive many miles out of your way, add to pollution, etc.

So ironic.

I do not like this type of double standard. Why is the cashless bridge okay but a cashless retail store isn't?
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Re: Amazon Go

Post by BillyGr »

storewanderer wrote: May 13th, 2019, 8:58 pm I continue to find it very ironic that a city will tell a privately owned retail business what forms of payment it must accept. However that same city is perfectly fine with a privately owned bridge (Golden Gate Bridge) that is cashless and will not accept cash payments.
Why is the cashless bridge okay but a cashless retail store isn't?
Not sure how that bridge works, but in this area those "Cashless" tolls simply send you a bill based on reading the license plate if you don't have a toll tag (like EZ Pass here, not sure what they call it in other parts of the US).

So, while they don't take cash at the time of travelling, they can take cash later on (you could take your cash and buy something like a money order to mail in, without needing a credit card or bank account).
That would be harder at the store, as you'd have no way to know in advance how much you were going to spend, if they would even take something like the money order.
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