Reports previously revealed that Amazon Go was expanding to bigger brick-and-mortar stores. Now, it is said that the retail company has far bigger plans for its burgeoning cashierless grocery outlets.
According to a new report from Reuters, Amazon is setting on a different area for the next Amazon Go expansion. Airports are apparently the next venue the company wants to conquer.
In the future, long-distance travelers may be less inconvenienced by buying snacks before they board their flight. They can just come in, pick up whatever they need, and leave the store. No lining up or anything as the store uses specialized sensors and artificial intelligence to determine what customers pick up and charge them accordingly afterward.
Find An Amazon Go Store In Your Local Airport
According to reports, Amazon is merely "looking at" bringing the stores to Airports, which means there is no guarantee if it will ever happen. Consider this, though: A report from Bloomberg earlier this year said Amazon is planning to add as many as 3,000 Amazon Go stores by 2021.
Amazon Go Expansion Plans
The first Amazon Go store opened earlier this January in Seattle and has since expanded to other parts of the city. It is slated to break ground in more areas as well, including Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. Amazon is said to be planning to expand operations to larger stores as well, potentially including Whole Foods outlets that the company acquired a while back for nearly $14 billion.
Reuters cites public records and a person familiar with the strategy in its report. It revealed that Amazon reached out to various airports recently, including the Los Angeles International Airport and the San Jose International Airport.
"I am looking forward to moving forward with the Amazon Go technology at the airport," San Jose International Airport's information technology manager wrote, following a meeting with Amazon. "I am looking forward to moving forward with the Amazon Go technology at the airport."
Both aforementioned airports say there have not been any further discussions with Amazon about the matter, though. If Amazon does manage to integrate its cashierless store concept into airports, that would certainly be a huge boon for travelers who hate long lines.
Making sure the system works well in bigger stores is the first step. Amazon Go stores have had trouble keeping up with purchases when there were 20 or more people inside the area at a time — what more in an airport setting?
Thoughts about Amazon Go stores in airports? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
