2022 is the year of the convenience revolution. Back in 2018 when we first visited Amazon Go in Seattle, it was clear that checkout-free retail offered not just frictionless shopping, but more importantly magical technology that could totally transform the way we interact with brands.  

However, it wasn’t until 2021 that Amazon finally launched its ‘just walk out’ technology internationally, with 15 Amazon Fresh locations across London within the first year.  

Whilst Amazon is actively promoting its fresh private label, on a strategic level Amazon Fresh is really proof of concept, designed to sell ‘just walk out’ technology to other retailers beyond food retail. 

The grocery industry has already opened their own versions; Sainsbury’s Pick & Go uses Amazon tech, whilst Tesco Get Go uses rival Trigo, and Aldi’s new checkout free Greenwich store uses AiFi. Expect a host of international concepts across the world in 2022.

The author of the text and the creator of Retail safari concept, Matthew Brown is the owner and founder of Echochamber, based in London, a creative retail trend agency with a global reach. Echochamber tracks global trends, advises clients and best practices in customer experience, store design, consumer trends and of course, innovative technology. Matthew travels the world tracking retail innovation and evolving consumer trends.

Echochamber provides global best practices and creative insight to clients across all retail sectors, in order to help them benchmark best practice and improve their businesses, by harnessing evolving global consumer and retail trends. 

Source: Matthew Brown, https://echochamber.com/