Amazon is delaying the public’s access to its prototype cashierless convenience store because the store’s technology is having trouble tracking large numbers of people, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Amazon.com is delaying the opening of its cashierless convenience store to the public because the store’s technology is having trouble tracking large numbers of people, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The pilot store, located in Amazon’s downtown campus, is powered by technology that Amazon says is similar to that found in driverless vehicles. An array of sensors tracks shoppers, who can pick up items from the shelves, get them added to a virtual cart and walk out of the store without going through a cashier.
The store’s launch last year triggered an outcry from a union representing grocery employees because it threatened the jobs of cashiers, one of the largest occupations in the U.S.
The store, dubbed Amazon Go, debuted with employees participating in a test program last December, and was expected to open its doors to the public in early 2017. (The Wall Street Journal says the opening was expected by the end of this month.)
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But apparently the technology has trouble following shoppers when there are more than 20 people in the store at one time, according to anonymous sources cited by the newspaper. There are also issues with tracking products if they’re not in a specific spot on the shelf, the newspaper reported.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.