Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

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ClownLoach
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by ClownLoach »

CalItalian wrote: May 29th, 2022, 4:46 pm
storewanderer wrote: May 29th, 2022, 11:03 am
CalItalian wrote: May 29th, 2022, 9:43 am My friend and I tried out the new store in Murrieta, California. Extremely disappointing. The good news is the employees are very friendly and helpful. That's about where the good news ends. Prices are astronomical. Even with the $20 off $40 coupon, there wasn't much value beyond deals I find elsewhere. I'm not a big fan of Aldi produce but Amazon Fresh doesn't even measure up to Aldi. Fresh shouldn't be in the store name since it wasn't. Wilted would be a better word. And that's not the only department. Found mold on both packaged cheese and bread. As for the store layout, aisles are narrow and having Amazon employees filling orders along with regular customers is very annoying. Although I see this at Vons and Ralphs, it's not on the scale that is going on in this store. We both used the walkout checkout just to try. My order was correct but it took almost three hours to get my receipt. My friend got a bonus of sorts. They had to check his id for purchasing a 12 pack of beer. He didn't get charged for the beer. Would we go back? Well, I'm a couponer so given the right coupon, yes. Without a coupon, not a chance. My friend said he would never come back and he lives less than a mile away.
Produce is great at the Long Beach location... multiple visits... Whole Foods level of quality there; at others, it looked terrible (if it was even stocked). Actually I pretty much hate every trip to these stores except for that one in Long Beach. I don't know what the difference is but that seems like a nicer store.

I suggest finding a store with the dash carts and using your coupon there. That way you can be sure it applies.

I have had totals as low as $11 using the $20 off $40 coupon. When I see the coupon has applied I am done shopping and I leave the store. I may then walk right back in for round 2. I have no clue how they compute the "spend" part. It seems to compute the spend $40 part based on full price and I guess I had some sale items.
They have smartcarts in Murrieta. Not an issue.
I'm a bit confused here. Amazon said they discontinued setting up stores with the dash cart (the big, heavy cart with a tablet computer in the handle where you have to scan an Amazon QR code to shop and a small basket that only fits about two bags). The Just Walk Out is supposed to be the replacement despite all of its problems. Does this location have both Just Walk Out (cameras that track your items supposedly) and the carts with a screen showing your total as you shop? Because that would be a first, and also solve many of the complaints being discussed here about wildly inaccurate transactions, sale of items by unit that normally are by the pound, etc.

That is a separate note - I thought that California has certain weights and measures standards around sale of certain fresh items like meat, deli items and some produce. I could have sworn Fresh and Easy tried to implement some kind of simplified price policy on items that are not compatible with that law, like selling each New York Steak for $9.99 regardless of weight, and they got fined millions of dollars and had to stop as California requires exact weight pricing in such categories and can't have for example a 12.5 Oz steak and a 11.7 Oz steak at the same price period? If so I wonder when Amazon is going to get in trouble here. It is already very strange that they dropped meat processing in store and went to shelf ready after their first couple months operating the first stores - yet they still have someone in store to handle cutting for just the service case. And that's where the problem will come from - the service case will sell exactly by the pound but the same item is shelf ready with one price on the rack and California Weights and Measures laws will not tolerate this. They would have to restrict the service case to cuts not available shelf ready. Am I right about Fresh and Easy getting in trouble over this? Or was it someone else like Target? I don't remember.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by storewanderer »

ClownLoach wrote: May 30th, 2022, 8:11 am
I'm a bit confused here. Amazon said they discontinued setting up stores with the dash cart (the big, heavy cart with a tablet computer in the handle where you have to scan an Amazon QR code to shop and a small basket that only fits about two bags). The Just Walk Out is supposed to be the replacement despite all of its problems. Does this location have both Just Walk Out (cameras that track your items supposedly) and the carts with a screen showing your total as you shop? Because that would be a first, and also solve many of the complaints being discussed here about wildly inaccurate transactions, sale of items by unit that normally are by the pound, etc.

That is a separate note - I thought that California has certain weights and measures standards around sale of certain fresh items like meat, deli items and some produce. I could have sworn Fresh and Easy tried to implement some kind of simplified price policy on items that are not compatible with that law, like selling each New York Steak for $9.99 regardless of weight, and they got fined millions of dollars and had to stop as California requires exact weight pricing in such categories and can't have for example a 12.5 Oz steak and a 11.7 Oz steak at the same price period? If so I wonder when Amazon is going to get in trouble here. It is already very strange that they dropped meat processing in store and went to shelf ready after their first couple months operating the first stores - yet they still have someone in store to handle cutting for just the service case. And that's where the problem will come from - the service case will sell exactly by the pound but the same item is shelf ready with one price on the rack and California Weights and Measures laws will not tolerate this. They would have to restrict the service case to cuts not available shelf ready. Am I right about Fresh and Easy getting in trouble over this? Or was it someone else like Target? I don't remember.
I haven't seen Dash Carts in the newer stores, only the Just Walk Out fiasco. Maybe this new store is different, that would be a good thing if it is.

I don't remember what retailer was involved in this CA issue but the upshoot of it was the flat price but random weight items needed to be labeled with an exact weight. You could have 20 steaks of varying sizes for 9.99 each but each steak has to show its weight. You cannot have approximate weight. There was also some distinction between hot foods and cold foods. For instance I don't think they had to put an exact weight on every hot rotisserie chicken (since the weight will change the longer it sits in the hot case and dries out) but the cold rotisserie chickens each one needs its individual unit weight on it. I don't think this is being enforced much anymore though all it will take is one lawsuit to get everyone to pay attention to it again.

This was another thing I do not like about the stores with Just Walk Out. I do not appreciate everything having a unit price. Especially in a store that has "variable" sizes of stuff. I want weighable items to be weighed and I want to be charged by the pound. If I only want half of a container of hot food I want to be sold that product by the pound and only pay for what I actually took. If I am looking at produce and I find the smaller pieces of whatever look like they will be better, or are already ripe, or something, than the larger pieces, I want to be charged fairly (by the pound) for those smaller peaches.

Back to Fresh & Easy and how they sold produce, it seemed like the produce they shipped into the stores was mostly all the same size pieces, so this wasn't so much of an issue there. Pricing was generally "even" across that display of apples or peaches as everything they put on the display was the same size. Whoever put date stickers on every apple at their warehouse probably had instructions to toss the "irregular" small pieces out. But this Amazon Fresh is getting a wide range of sizes of produce and a single unit price is not going to work. They will have massive shrink on smaller items nobody will buy because it is a poor value.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by Bagels »

I agree, Amazon’s produce is less than desirable. We grabbed a couple of apples awhile ago, and both were rotted. I’ve never seen anything like that outside of 99 Cents Only.

After tonight, I’ll never return to Amazon Fresh again. We purchased some meat a week-and-a-half ago, and attempted to cook it a few days later but it had a foul odor. I went to exchange it tonight and the manager at first tried to deny the return, saying they accept timely returns only, and the only thing wrong with our purchase is that we didn’t cook it fast enough (absolutely not true). I rarely return anything, but I’ve never encounter such BS before. Now she did make a one time exception, but I’m done shopping here.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by J-Man »

This was another thing I do not like about the stores with Just Walk Out. I do not appreciate everything having a unit price. Especially in a store that has "variable" sizes of stuff. I want weighable items to be weighed and I want to be charged by the pound. If I only want half of a container of hot food I want to be sold that product by the pound and only pay for what I actually took. If I am looking at produce and I find the smaller pieces of whatever look like they will be better, or are already ripe, or something, than the larger pieces, I want to be charged fairly (by the pound) for those smaller peaches.
Don't Trader Joe's and Target do this as well with produce?
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by Romr123 »

Target pFresh and Trader Joes definitely do; I don't think SuperTarget does (they weigh things like any other supercentre)
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: May 31st, 2022, 12:09 am I agree, Amazon’s produce is less than desirable. We grabbed a couple of apples awhile ago, and both were rotted. I’ve never seen anything like that outside of 99 Cents Only.

After tonight, I’ll never return to Amazon Fresh again. We purchased some meat a week-and-a-half ago, and attempted to cook it a few days later but it had a foul odor. I went to exchange it tonight and the manager at first tried to deny the return, saying they accept timely returns only, and the only thing wrong with our purchase is that we didn’t cook it fast enough (absolutely not true). I rarely return anything, but I’ve never encounter such BS before. Now she did make a one time exception, but I’m done shopping here.
I suggest filing a complaint with Amazon regarding this and see what happens (if anything). I'd actually be curious to know what would happen (if anything).

Amazon's policy actually does state they do not accept returns of grocery items in the store. However they do issue refunds upon request (they don't want the item back). You are supposed to just initiate a refund request from their app or bring the receipt (not even item) back to the store.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =202075110

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... J2EXSXP385

I also find it ironic they will hassle you in the store over a return. I am not surprised but it just goes to show how screwed up the retail level is. If your purchase was linked to your Amazon account, you could have logged right into your account, pulled your receipt from the store, and initiated a return from there without even having to go back to the store. The system would have automatically given you a refund.

I'd have let that manager know it too- okay, you don't want to do the return, watch me do my own return right here. And look forward to the complaint I will be filing against you with the main office and upper management.

I'd have also let that manager know that it is industry standard in the grocery business to guarantee satisfaction on fresh department items. Amazon's systems will track everything and the systems can decide when to deny a refund. It is not the manager's right or decision to deny a refund when it is in the Amazon system, that is up to the system.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by CalItalian »

ClownLoach wrote: May 30th, 2022, 8:11 am
CalItalian wrote: May 29th, 2022, 4:46 pm
storewanderer wrote: May 29th, 2022, 11:03 am

Produce is great at the Long Beach location... multiple visits... Whole Foods level of quality there; at others, it looked terrible (if it was even stocked). Actually I pretty much hate every trip to these stores except for that one in Long Beach. I don't know what the difference is but that seems like a nicer store.

I suggest finding a store with the dash carts and using your coupon there. That way you can be sure it applies.

I have had totals as low as $11 using the $20 off $40 coupon. When I see the coupon has applied I am done shopping and I leave the store. I may then walk right back in for round 2. I have no clue how they compute the "spend" part. It seems to compute the spend $40 part based on full price and I guess I had some sale items.
They have smartcarts in Murrieta. Not an issue.
I'm a bit confused here. Amazon said they discontinued setting up stores with the dash cart (the big, heavy cart with a tablet computer in the handle where you have to scan an Amazon QR code to shop and a small basket that only fits about two bags). The Just Walk Out is supposed to be the replacement despite all of its problems. Does this location have both Just Walk Out (cameras that track your items supposedly) and the carts with a screen showing your total as you shop? Because that would be a first, and also solve many of the complaints being discussed here about wildly inaccurate transactions, sale of items by unit that normally are by the pound, etc.

That is a separate note - I thought that California has certain weights and measures standards around sale of certain fresh items like meat, deli items and some produce. I could have sworn Fresh and Easy tried to implement some kind of simplified price policy on items that are not compatible with that law, like selling each New York Steak for $9.99 regardless of weight, and they got fined millions of dollars and had to stop as California requires exact weight pricing in such categories and can't have for example a 12.5 Oz steak and a 11.7 Oz steak at the same price period? If so I wonder when Amazon is going to get in trouble here. It is already very strange that they dropped meat processing in store and went to shelf ready after their first couple months operating the first stores - yet they still have someone in store to handle cutting for just the service case. And that's where the problem will come from - the service case will sell exactly by the pound but the same item is shelf ready with one price on the rack and California Weights and Measures laws will not tolerate this. They would have to restrict the service case to cuts not available shelf ready. Am I right about Fresh and Easy getting in trouble over this? Or was it someone else like Target? I don't remember.
It has both the Dash Cart and Just Walk Out in Murrieta. Regardless of what Amazon said, that's the way it is. The store had completed construction last September and chatting with a store manager, everything was in place then.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by CalItalian »

storewanderer wrote: May 29th, 2022, 9:16 pm
CalItalian wrote: May 29th, 2022, 4:46 pm
They have smartcarts in Murrieta. Not an issue. I am aware that the coupon is based on the full price of the item even if it is on sale. Picking sale items lowers the minimum threshold to when the coupon kicks in.

Most of the regular priced items are not a value in any way, though. Nobody is higher than Amazon Fresh in this area.

Without a coupon, this store has no value. It won't play well in this area over time. A new Costco is opening in August two exits up along with a brand new Aldi in the same center. There's already a Sam's Club (across the street) and a Stater Bros. at the next exit.

I don't know if it was human error or the system but my friend was quite surprised he didn't get charged for his 12-pack of beer. I didn't watch how the Amazon employee handled it. It did show on his cart prior to his i.d. being checked. He shared his receipt with me so I can verify it. Otherwise, the $20 off $40 coupon was correctly applied on both our receipts.
The problem with Just Walk Out is if they screw up you may not get your discount... and in my experience they actually seem to miss items.

I don't really think these stores are designed to have a lot of walk in customers. I think they are there to fulfill online orders. Having some walk in customers show up is going to require a lot of changes to the stores, wider aisles, and a big focus on actually keeping the shelves stocked when the store is open.

There is no telling how long they will keep issuing these coupons. Amazon will do something and lose money at it for years and years.

My perception of their shelf pricing has varied by visit but for the most part I find their pricing to be on the high end (Safeway type pricing) and the mix of items does not match the pricing. But if you search through the shelves you can find various items that are also very underpriced. It tends to be odd items. The pricing makes no sense. They clearly are not using a strategy of running low prices on key/common use items to drive traffic (almost feels like they are doing the opposite- pricing those items not so competitively, perhaps so they do not go out of stock as quickly).

I also do not expect any competitors to copy this format. But since this is Amazon it may stick around for a while.

Also that "french bread" they are selling at .89, they should just stop, it is terrible. I can't imagine it is baked in the store. The $1.99 pizza slice however seems to be pretty good.
They've already cut back on the coupons. In the ad for the new Murrieta store that opened on Cinco de Mayo, the coupon has been gone for two weeks, although stores open longer now have a $10 off $50 (last week there was a $20 off $50 in the Murrieta Amazon Fresh store page, though, but not the ad). There is another $20 off $40 coupon that's still valid though that can be used at any store. But it's not easy to find. Kinda surprised they are pulling back so fast. This store isn't that busy.
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by Bagels »

storewanderer wrote: June 1st, 2022, 6:25 pm
Bagels wrote: May 31st, 2022, 12:09 am I agree, Amazon’s produce is less than desirable. We grabbed a couple of apples awhile ago, and both were rotted. I’ve never seen anything like that outside of 99 Cents Only.

After tonight, I’ll never return to Amazon Fresh again. We purchased some meat a week-and-a-half ago, and attempted to cook it a few days later but it had a foul odor. I went to exchange it tonight and the manager at first tried to deny the return, saying they accept timely returns only, and the only thing wrong with our purchase is that we didn’t cook it fast enough (absolutely not true). I rarely return anything, but I’ve never encounter such BS before. Now she did make a one time exception, but I’m done shopping here.
I suggest filing a complaint with Amazon regarding this and see what happens (if anything). I'd actually be curious to know what would happen (if anything).

Amazon's policy actually does state they do not accept returns of grocery items in the store. However they do issue refunds upon request (they don't want the item back). You are supposed to just initiate a refund request from their app or bring the receipt (not even item) back to the store.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... =202075110

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer ... J2EXSXP385

I also find it ironic they will hassle you in the store over a return. I am not surprised but it just goes to show how screwed up the retail level is. If your purchase was linked to your Amazon account, you could have logged right into your account, pulled your receipt from the store, and initiated a return from there without even having to go back to the store. The system would have automatically given you a refund.

I'd have let that manager know it too- okay, you don't want to do the return, watch me do my own return right here. And look forward to the complaint I will be filing against you with the main office and upper management.

I'd have also let that manager know that it is industry standard in the grocery business to guarantee satisfaction on fresh department items. Amazon's systems will track everything and the systems can decide when to deny a refund. It is not the manager's right or decision to deny a refund when it is in the Amazon system, that is up to the system.
Thank you very much for that. It was purchased via a cashier and didn't pull through on the app. I guess I need to register the card or something. I rarely return anything, but when I do, I've never been given a problem. I was surprised by her attitude. I'm guessing poor customer service has something to do with the chain's failure status quo. I will follow up with what they say!!!
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Re: Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out

Post by Bagels »

CalItalian wrote: June 2nd, 2022, 7:04 amThey've already cut back on the coupons. In the ad for the new Murrieta store that opened on Cinco de Mayo, the coupon has been gone for two weeks, although stores open longer now have a $10 off $50 (last week there was a $20 off $50 in the Murrieta Amazon Fresh store page, though, but not the ad). There is another $20 off $40 coupon that's still valid though that can be used at any store. But it's not easy to find. Kinda surprised they are pulling back so fast. This store isn't that busy.
The Irvine store was absolutely packed -- it was loaded with ethic families trying to use multiple coupons; the lady in front of me argued that her infant was a customer and should be able to use a coupon, too. Up until recently, crowds have been light, even with the coupons. I'm guessing people are catching on, redemptions are swelling depleting the marketing budget.
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