Amazon is set to expand its cashier-less Go stores across airports, according to new reports.
The online retailer has reportedly met with both the Los Angeles International Airport and the San Jose International Airport to discuss the possibility of Go stores being concession options at the airports.
Owner Jeff Bezos hopes to add as many as 3,000 Amazon Go stores by 2021 - making it one of the biggest convenience stores in the USA and impacting many of its rivals.
It’s believed Amazon initially wants to introduce sandwich shops to airports, allowing hurried passengers to take advantage of the simple grab-and-go system and its 24-hour opening times.
Shoppers use an app before they enter the store and then scan their smart phone at a turnstile. Sensors and computer-vision technology detect what shoppers take and bills them automatically, eliminating checkout lines. Amazon describes it as ‘just walk out technology’.
It will be a costly expansion for the tech giant, with each new location and its hardware costing around $1 million dollars per store.
As of 2018, it has seven locations including California, Seattle and Chicago. The first shop was installed in Washington, inside their Day 1 headquarters building, but was available to Amazon employees only.