Amazon Go Will Open A Second Location in Seattle

Another Amazon Go store reportedly will soon open, representing another step toward a future when consumers will pay for their groceries without having to stand and wait in checkout lanes.

The new store is also located in Seattle, and according to Geekwire will stand about a mile away from the other one. In a statement, Amazon said “we are excited to bring Amazon Go to 920 5th Avenue in Seattle. The store will open in Fall 2018.”

The first cashierless Amazon Go store opened in January in Seattle after being in development for five years. It’s located on the ground floor of the eCommerce giant’s new headquarters.

The layout and technology involved enables customers to download the Amazon Go app on their mobile device and scan the app upon entering. Customers then proceed to shop, but don’t have to check out when exiting. Instead, the store will use cameras and sensors on shelves, as well as a computer vision system, to scan the items being purchased and automatically charge them to the shopper’s Amazon account.

That’s significant, as U.S. consumers spend some 37 billion hours every year waiting in line, according to fresh data from PYMNTS.

Permit filings give a deeper look at the new Amazon Go store, Geekwire said. “The store is larger than the original version — approximately 3,000 square feet, versus 1,800 square feet. It’s on the first floor of the Madison Centre, a 36-story high-rise that opened late last year across from Seattle Central Library and houses law firm Davis Wright Tremaine and Seattle startup Textio.”

Of course, Amazon Go is not the only game in town when it comes to checkout-free grocery store concepts. AiFi, for instance, a U.S.-based company about to launch major tests of its cashier-less grocery store technology, took home the top honors in Visa’s Everywhere Initiative contest in the United States. It aims to stand apart from by offering technology that can serve stores larger than the typical Amazon Go store.