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Amazon's store of the future has bugs to work out
Amazon was planning on a public launch of its cashier-less Go convenience store at the end of March according to The Wall Street Journal, but the retailer has hit a few speed bumps. The test location in Seattle uses cameras, sensors and algorithms to track customers while they shop so they don't have to wait in line to check out. Unfortunately, the system has trouble keeping up if there are more than 20 people in the store at one time. It also has difficulty tracking items if they're moved from a specific location on the shelf.
Amazon considers opening augmented reality furniture stores
Amazon's retail plans could extend well beyond books and groceries. New York Times sources hear that the internet giant is "exploring" the possibility of appliance and furniture stores with a technological angle. You'd use augmented or virtual reality to see how items would look in your own home, making it easier to pull the trigger on that new couch or stove. And there's a chance that Amazon might challenge some of its tech rivals more directly in retail, too.
Alexa lets you order from Prime Now
"Alexa, order chips and dip from Prime Now" is a phrase that you can now say and legitimately expect chips (and dip) to turn up at your door within two hours. That's because the shopping giant has bonded its fast delivery knowhow with its voice assistant, enabling you to just ask for things and have them arrive.
Amazon's next retail outlets are drive-up grocery stores
Seattle residents might be able to order groceries from AmazonFresh online and pick them up from a brick-and-mortar outlet in the near future. The city has given the company permission to install "AmazonFresh Pickup" signs in Seattle's Ballard and SoDo neighborhoods. GeekWire captured some photos of the locations under construction last month. Now the fillings it has unearthed indicate that the drive-up grocery outlets are almost ready to open for business. According to the documents, the shops will have signs that say "HELLO, BALLARD" and "HELLO, SODO." Their exterior walls will also be painted with slogans like "Shop online. Pick up here." and "Relax while we load your groceries."
Amazon now has over 250 Dash Buttons for easy ordering
What I initially thought was an April Fool's joke now counts 250 different options to its name. I'm talking about Amazon's Dash Button and today the online retailer announced that the total number of one-touch ordering devices has hit the aforementioned tally. To get there, the company added 50 more of the re-ordering tools from brands like Seventh Generation, Colgate, Emergen-C, Kingsford, KY, Lifestyles, Rogaine and more. Just how popular are they? Amazon says some brands are receiving more than half of their orders from Dash Buttons.
Amazon adds virtual Dash buttons to its website
It's already extremely easy to purchase stuff from Amazon's website, but now you won't even have to search for every day items you tend to re-order. Amazon has launched digital versions of its Dash buttons and has added them to its homepage, according to Recode. The digital Dash buttons, which enable one-click buying, reportedly started popping up on Amazon.com and on its app's home screen on Thursday night. Amazon will auto-generate buttons for your most recent purchases, but a spokesperson told Recode that you can also create your own. So long as you're a Prime member, you can use the new "Add to your Dash buttons" option that's now in all eligible products' pages.
Amazon Go is a grocery store with no checkout lines
It looks like those rumors of Amazon convenience stores were true. The online shopping giant unveiled Amazon Go today, its spin on brick and mortar retail. It uses computer vision, a whole bunch of sensors and deep learning to let you walk into a store, sign in with an Amazon Go app, fill up your bags and leave without stopping for a checkout line. Amazon is calling it a "Just Walk Out Shopping" experience, a self-descriptive name if there ever was one. The company is starting out with a large store in Seattle, but it's clearly meant to serve as a model for other locations and retail stores.
Amazon brings its Dash grocery scanner to the UK
Now that Amazon's grocery delivery service has launched in the UK, many of the devices that make it easier to order food and household items are starting to make their way here too. The first is the Dash, a small handheld gadget that lets you add products to your basket with its barcode scanner or by simply using your voice. All that's then needed is to open the Amazon website or mobile app and complete your order.
Whirlpool washer and dryer can order refills with Amazon Dash
If you hate having to swing by the store to get washing detergent and dryer sheets, Whirlpool has you covered. The appliance maker's Smart Top Load Washer and Dryer can now use the Amazon Dash Replenishment Service to automatically re-order supplies. Once you've synced your Amazon account, you don't have to lift a finger -- the machines will estimate when you're running low and ship accordingly. This is just one part of a smarter design (they already talk to your smartphone and Nest thermostat), but it could make the biggest difference.
