Amazon Go Futuristic Convenience Store Will Sell Beer, Too

Amazon's recently unveiled futuristic convenience store, Amazon Go, will also sell alcohol, it has been revealed. This convenience store, currently existing as a concept in Seattle, aims to revolutionize corner shops by eliminating the human element (mostly) and replacing it with a variety of machine learning, sensors, and cameras. Rather than paying for an item via a cashier or automated checkout machine, the store aims to charge customers automatically as they take items off the shelves.

The first Amazon Go automated convenience store is located in Seattle near an Amazon offices building, and it is stocked with all sorts of items. While the public can see inside, the store hasn't yet opened for anyone to use, though employees are said to be hanging around. The store is set to open to the public early this year, though it isn't clear exactly when that will happen.

When someone enters the store to buy an item, a variety of smart technology monitors items as they're taken off the shelves. Customers are automatically charged for the items they take via an app, which is scanned on the way into the store. This means, in essence, you can go in during your lunch break, grab a sandwich and drink, and then walk back out, no standing in lines necessary.

Amazon has recently confirmed that its Amazon Go store in Seattle will also sell alcoholic beverages, a somewhat surprising twist that will, predictably, require a human to be present. This human worker will check IDs of individuals who wish to purchase beer or wine. A flyer in the store's window currently says that a liquor license application is the pipeline.

SOURCE: Recode