Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

This is the place for general and miscellaneous posts on topics which might extend past the boundaries of any specific region. No non-grocery posts.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by marketreportblog »

An interesting addition to the “Just Walk Out” Amazon shopping is that similar, cashier-less (but smaller) grocery stores are now open on the campus of the University of Denver, run by foodservice provider Sodexo. Sounds like they may have figured out a few issues Amazon is dealing with, but they’re also much smaller, less complicated operations (maybe a better comparison to Amazon Go, although I haven’t seen them).
https://www.food-management.com/college ... ping-cinch
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by mbz321 »

Well, they released yet another $20 off '$40' distributed in the mailbox circulars in the area around my nearest Fresh store. How much longer can they keep this up to try and attract business?

I will say though, yesterday I stopped in earlier in the day yesterday and there were so many employees on the floor picking and packing orders for pickups, so I guess at least that part of the business is doing well, but it felt like I was navigating/shopping in a literal Amazon warehouse. It was honestly hard to get around due to the amount of staff and their large utility-type carts they use to go around.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by Alpha8472 »

Tail gating is an issue. If a person enters the store right behind you and does not scan the app, the first person gets charged for the items taken by the tail gater. There can be quite a bit of fraud.

Items must be placed in the correct places by employees. An item's price is based on location. If an employee puts an item in the wrong place, you will be charged the wrong price.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by storewanderer »

Alpha8472 wrote: July 30th, 2022, 1:53 pm Tail gating is an issue. If a person enters the store right behind you and does not scan the app, the first person gets charged for the items taken by the tail gater. There can be quite a bit of fraud.

Items must be placed in the correct places by employees. An item's price is based on location. If an employee puts an item in the wrong place, you will be charged the wrong price.
This should not be an issue. They have people monitoring the gates. Every cart has unique bar codes on it. If more than one cart goes through the gate on a pass (be it at entry or exit), which is unlikely, as the gate automatically closes, an error will be triggered by the system and employees will investigate. They do have employees positioned at both entry and exit. I hate this system, think it is terrible, think it has no future, and think it should be scrapped immediately, however, this part is not really an issue.

As far as pricing goes since you don't get a receipt for 3 hours or 12 hours or however many hours after leaving the store, you have no clue if prices were correct or not. But you can go into Amazon and contest your final bill... the refund process is identical to a refund process on an Amazon order that is mailed to you. So there is that.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by mbz321 »

Another trip to Amazon Fresh with some noticable changes (this is the third week in a row of a very locally distributed $20 off '$40' coupon!).

All the freestanding refrigerated cases throughout the store that were 'open' have been enclosed with doors. Not sure why now as the store has been open a year now..maybe they were on backorder?

Some category signage in the aisles have been replaced with screens (pic attached). They all seemed to be on a still image, so not quite sure the point of these.

Staff was actively marking down close-dated produce items by slapping generic 30% off stickers on the front of the packages. Nothing over the originals barcodes so it looks like anything like that can't be done on the dash cart, at least not without an attendant.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by storewanderer »

mbz321 wrote: August 15th, 2022, 7:05 pm Another trip to Amazon Fresh with some noticable changes (this is the third week in a row of a very locally distributed $20 off '$40' coupon!).

All the freestanding refrigerated cases throughout the store that were 'open' have been enclosed with doors. Not sure why now as the store has been open a year now..maybe they were on backorder?

Some category signage in the aisles have been replaced with screens (pic attached). They all seemed to be on a still image, so not quite sure the point of these.

Staff was actively marking down close-dated produce items by slapping generic 30% off stickers on the front of the packages. Nothing over the originals barcodes so it looks like anything like that can't be done on the dash cart, at least not without an attendant.
Were the items featured on their new directional signage even in stock?

I guess if they reset/flex space in the stores they can just change the screens vs. having to put up new signs. Maybe they can suspend some additional "just walk out" cameras from these new signs in the stores with "just walk out."
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