Inside: Amazon Go
California Street, San Francisco
A Customer Experience Brief

Amazon Go is the e-commerce behemoth’s cashless grocery store concept. I
visited one of 2 locations in San Francisco. It’s a 2300 square-foot location in a
high foot traffic area of the city.

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The store works through the Amazon Go mobile app. It’s free and a quick and easy download & sign-
up. With the app open, you’re able to enter through electronic gate-style access points. An employee
stands at the entrance to help first-time customers.

The store bills itself as a place to pick up a
convenient meal and grocery essentials – and it
delivers on that promise well.

“Good Food Fast” is the store slogan.

Several aisles of refrigerated and frozen cases are lined with all sorts of food
products. Prices on basics such as milk and yogurt were comparable to those at
the national grocery store chains in the city.

Cameras and sensors line the ceiling to monitor the items
you remove from the shelves.

A poster promotes its meal kits…

…which are featured in one section signed “from box to
table in about 30 minutes.”

Grab and go bakery items are available.

And there are plenty of refrigerated grab and go selections, with an
emphasis on fresh and good for you ingredients…

…such as this Vegan Baked Tofu snack cup, for around
$3.00.

An open ceiling with exposed ducting and electrical gives
the store an industrial, warehouse feel.

The store also includes a limited selection of standard dry
goods grocery items and personal care products.

And it stocks a few “Amazon Go Exclusives” products –
chocolate bars, coffee mugs, and water bottles. I expect
this selection to grow over time.

When you’re finished shopping, you just walk back out
through the electronic gates and the mobile app processes
your transaction.

Moments later, you receive a digital receipt in the app. As
the sign says, “No Lines. No Checkout…Just Walk Out
Shopping.”

And a small dining area is available if you wish to consume
your purchases on site.

Shopping at Amazon Go was extremely easy and convenient. But more than that, the
selection of food items was quite impressive. All the healthy, fresh, interesting and
ethnic-inspired options, at reasonable prices, are a welcome alternative to the standard
fare available at city bodegas and convenience stores – and represent competition to fast
food and fast casual restaurants.
The store concept has a lot of appeal, and therefore a lot of potential for growth.
Currently there are only 10 Amazon Go stores. Not only do I expect to see many more
convenient food store locations opening around the world including non-traditional
locations such as airports, sports and entertainment venues. But I wouldn’t be surprised
to see either larger Go stores with a broader selection of products and/or multiple Go
store concepts focused on particular assortments such as drug store/health care
products and baby/children’s products.
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DENISE LEE YOHNbrand-building expert | speaker | author