Lots of us love Whole Foods but we dread the lines we have to wait on to get our overpriced healthy goods. Well, Whole Foods soon may have an answer for that.
The Amazon-owned grocery store just announced they are planning to open two stores that will use technology to let customers skip the lines. The stores, in Washington, DC and Sherman Oaks, California, will be equipped with what the company calls “Walk Out Technology,” which will allow shoppers to simply exit a store after filling up their carts without stopping at a cashier.
Basically, what will happen is that when customers enter the store they can either scan a QR code on their Whole Foods or Amazon app, insert a credit or debit card connected to their Amazon account, or enroll in Amazon One, which allows users to pay by placing the palm of their hand above a scanner. While shopping, a virtual cart will add and remove items, and they’ll just either re-scan their QR code, or reinsert their credit card on the way out to get a digital receipt. They can also still check out via self-checkout lanes, or the customer service booth.
Whole Foods isn’t the first grocery to embrace such technology. Amazon already has several cashier-free stores, like Amazon Go and they even have a full grocery with the same options.