Computer vision in retail: the technology behind frictionless retail

Computer vision is already transforming a variety of tasks, from searching for products to imaging the human body. The same technology that helps you identify a plant in your garden or organize your digital photos is also changing the way we shop in physical stores.

Just Walk Out technology by Amazon uses a combination of computer vision, AI and camera vision deliver a checkout-free retail experience. With Just Walk Out technology, customers can enter the store after verifying a payment method, browse and pick up the items they want, and exit without going through checkout. The technology keeps track of the items customers take in a virtual cart. When customers leave, they are charged for the items they took.

Computer vision is advanced AI that enables systems to interpret and understand visual information from digital images and video. Using machine learning algorithms, computer vision applications can sift through large volumes of image data. Computer vision can be used for object identification, classifying objects, safety monitoring, detection, and other actions.

With Just Walk Out technology, computer vision seamlessly combines advanced AI and machine learning technology with cameras and sensors to accurately detect what customers take from the shelves and charge them correctly when they exit the store. Computer vision store kits provide retailers with the cameras, shelf sensors, lighting, networking, and AI technology required to operate the stores. Networking and connectivity hardware fit into pre-fabricated cabinets.

Even in crowded shopping environments, the technology can accurately identify and track the items customers take. The system can also track groups of shoppers and ensure the correct items are charged to the right payment method.

Just Walk Out technology uses deep machine learning models and advanced AI that were trained on large datasets of simulated shopping scenarios to help the system scale and recognize millions of shopping actions without making mistakes.

Designed with shopper privacy in mind, The technology does not collect or use any biometric data. It simply links customers to their payment method to enable a checkout-free experience.

Self-checkout kiosks have become common in stores, but user error and malfunctions can cause downtime and customer frustration when stores are not adequately staffed. They can also invite theft: A 2022 survey of retailers found that two-thirds of respondents thought that losses related to self-checkout systems were becoming more of a problem in their businesses.

Just Walk Out technology may help mitigate some of these pitfalls. Average losses due to shopper theft were less than 1% in stores that used Just Walk Out technology from June 2024 through May 2025, when stores complied with operational requirements.

Just Walk Out technology also enabled an average 99.9% uptime performance over the same 12-month period.

Beyond secure and seamless virtual checkout for customers, Just Walk Out technology uses computer vision to supply a suite of analytics and insights tools. These go beyond point-of-sale data to deliver information about interactions across the whole store and new insights into how products were considered, picked up, returned to shelf, and ultimately purchased.

The analytics dashboards provide comprehensive temporal insights—from hourly to monthly views—enabling data-driven decision making across a store’s These smart dashboards can help retailers monitor store performance through data on shopping trips, conversion rates, and promotion performance. Stores can also streamline operations by learning about peak traffic patterns, empty lane detection, and product engagement.

Retailers across the United States and around the world are learning that computer vision and related technologies can help them grow sales, cut costs, and extend store hours. Shoppers are enjoying frictionless shopping powered by Just Walk Out technology at more than 375 stores in five countries. Those sites include college and university campuses, hospitals, stadiums, and airports—places where customers are often pressed for time and shopping outside regular business hours.

Amazon continues to refine Just Walk Out technology and in July 2024 rolled out an AI system that makes the technology faster, easier to deploy, and more efficient. The self-learning system trains on a 3D map of the store to understand placement of products and fixtures such as shelves, fridges, and coffee machines. Based on an image catalog of the store’s merchandise, it will recognize every item accurately. This means Just Walk Out technology can recognize shopper behavior even if the store is remerchandised and items are rearranged or misplaced.

Just Walk Out technology stores continue to launch worldwide. With each store, the system becomes even faster and more accurate, paving the way for computer-vision-aided stores that simplify shopping for consumers and solve problems for retailers.