Autonomous retail vs. traditional retail: what’s the difference?

Traditional retail experiences have long followed a familiar format: waiting in a checkout line and presenting purchases to a cashier, who rings them up for payment. Self-checkout has become an increasingly common variation on this scenario, with customers scanning their own purchases, rather than a cashier.

Today, an entirely different type of experience is emerging: autonomous retail. Powered by Just Walk Out technology by Amazon, autonomous retail uses advanced AI, computer vision, and optional radio-frequency identification (RFID) to enable frictionless shopping. With autonomous retail, shoppers can grab what they want and get back to life while retailers grow sales and improve operational efficiencies.

In a traditional retail store, customers and purchases are authenticated at the end of the shopping journey, creating potential bottlenecks. Just Walk Out technology can verify a customer’s payment method either upon entry to the store or as they exit. The system detects when customers take items from shelves, and it keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When the customer exits the property, they are charged for the items they took.

On college campuses, students can enter a store powered by Just Walk Out technology using a meal plan app or other school-specific account. Other authentication methods customers can use, depending on a store’s implementation, include credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Payment is automatically processed upon exit from the store.

Customers in traditional retail settings must stop, present, and scan each purchase. Maneuvering carts or totes, waiting for a cashier or self-checkout kiosk, physically scanning each purchase, and bagging scanned items all add time to the transaction.

By contrast, Just Walk Out technology makes it possible to enter a store, pick up items with or without a cart, and simply leave with purchases in tow. In small-format retail and quick-service dining locations such as convenience stores, campus markets, hospital gift shops, and stadium concession stands, customers present a payment method to enter the store. Computer vision cameras positioned throughout the space keep track of product movement, while weight sensors on shelves detect when items are picked up or returned.

In merchandise or pop-up retail settings, customers enter the store and browse normally, select tagged items, and exit through RFID lanes where they tap their payment method. The RFID readers automatically detect all tagged items and process payment.

In traditional retail, employee time is often taken up managing checkout lines, scanning items at the register, troubleshooting self-checkout kiosks, and manually surveying inventory. Stores can only be open when staff are available to work.

Just Walk Out technology frees up staff to assist shoppers, since the checkout is handled automatically. Stores can extend operating hours even during off-peak times without additional staff. Extending hours to operate without staff from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. boosted sales 18%, on average, for stores with Just Walk Out technology during a yearlong survey period. And store operators gain inventory and sales insights that otherwise would be difficult, if not impossible, with traditional inventory methods. Just Walk Out technology provides comprehensive analytics dashboards that can reveal peak traffic patterns, inventory alerts, and product placement insights.

The frictionless autonomous retail experience enabled by Just Walk Out makes it easy for customers to get what they need from a store and move on quickly.

“High-traffic locations with long lines are ideal places to introduce the technology,” said Jamie Obletz, president, Delaware North Sportservice, a foodservice and retail operator. “Just Walk Out technology enables our high-volume stores to serve even more fans, with increases of 20 to 30 percent.”

Delaware North selected Just Walk Out technology to alleviate bottlenecks and create a convenient alternative at its stores, which are located in large sports and entertainment stadiums and arenas that serve thousands of fans.

“Fans are happy because they get their drinks and food items faster than ever and can spend more time watching the show or game. That makes the overall stadium experience better,” Obletz said.

Traditional retail stores, by necessity, are designed to take customers on a shopping journey that often ends in a checkout line. Layouts are oriented toward the point of sale, which is usually a bank of cash registers or self-checkout kiosks.

Autonomous retail changes how customers can enter, navigate, and exit a store. Layouts can be more free-flowing while delivering a streamlined shopping experience. Valuable real estate that ordinarily would be taken up with registers is freed up to add inventory. Just Walk Out technology also enables staff to be focused on food preparation, restocking, or answering customer questions, among other high-value tasks.

Shoppers are enjoying frictionless shopping powered by Just Walk Out technology at more than 375 stores in five countries. As more autonomous retail stores open, Amazon continues to refine the technology to be faster, easier to deploy, and more efficient. Customers enjoy an enhanced, streamlined shopping experience.