Skip to main content

Amazon scouted airport locations for its cashier-free Amazon Go stores

Amazon’s ambitious plans to expand the number of cashier-free Amazon Go stores may include opening locations at major airports, Reuters reports.

Representatives from two California airports told Reuters of emails and conversations in June with Amazon personnel exploring potential interest in Amazon Go stores in their terminals. Since those initial contacts, however, the process has halted with no further clue from Amazon about whether airport locations are still a viable near-term plan.

In a June 27 email quoted by Reuters, a Los Angeles International airport technology advisor wrote, “The lead for Amazon Go requested a meeting. Interested?” The answer was affirmative.

Also in June, an Amazon cloud unit account manager requested a meeting with officials at San Jose International Airport. In the request, the manager mentioned Amazon Go as “one of many possibilities we can discuss.”

After the San Jose meeting, an airport manager wrote, “I am looking forward to moving forward with the Amazon Go technology at the airport.”

Since the June meetings? Crickets.

No one is speaking publicly today about whether the concept for airport Amazon Go quick grab eateries is a go or no-go proposition. Given Amazon’s reach and proclivity toward expansion, however, the wait for a decision might not be long in coming. Unless the cashier-free concept has proved an unreported bust, chances are we will hear about the next move in Amazon’s storefront strategy soon.

In September, Bloomberg reported that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sees a significant opportunity for brick and mortar locations in cities where weekday lunchtimes bring crowded delis, sandwich shops, and restaurants. Amazon Go stores configured as quick-service restaurants (QSRs) could be a logical market entry point. Bloomberg also reported the retailer could open as many 3,000 Amazon Go stores by 2021.

Patrons at Amazon Go locations scan their smartphones on entry. From that point they find, pick up, and leave the store with their selections and Amazon bills their credit cards.

If walk-through retail spots can sell pre-prepared meals profitably, airports are another logical venue. Passengers at busy airport terminals are often in a rush to board flights, make connections, or find other transportation modes to their final destinations.

That Amazon has not followed up on the June airport contacts doesn’t necessarily signify a change in plans on Amazon’s part. The company could be considering massive upscaling for an initial QSR launch. Alternately, Amazon might be weighing the benefits of checkout-free airport stores that sell products other than food, such as Alexa devices and Kindles.

Given the potential costs of opening retail locations in big cities and busy airports, Amazon may also be planning various proof-of-concept trials to determine which implementations test the best.

Editors' Recommendations

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Lawmakers to Amazon: Cashless stores don’t check out
amazon cashless supermarket backlash opens first go store to accept cash

When Amazon brought its Go store to New York City earlier this year, it had something the others didn’t: cashiers. The city was in the midst of an outcry against other cashless businesses, so Amazon agreed to let customers pay with dollars and cents. Now the company wants to expand the cashierless technology. It plans on putting it in full-size supermarkets and licensing it to other retailers, according to Bloomberg News. 

The Amazon Go stores were originally meant to be totally cashierless. Customers scan an app to enter, pick up their items around the shop — continually tracked by cameras that see everything you put in your tote bag — and then walk out (unless you're picking up a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer, in which case an employee still checks your  ID). The receipt shows up on the app, and your credit card is charged accordingly. Critics said the stores discriminated against the unbanked, and other people who don’t have credit cards. Proponents say it cuts down on theft and is more efficient. 

Read more
Amazon looks to expand its cashier-free Go tech to supermarkets, pop-up stores
Amazon logo on the

Supermarket cashiers would be a thing of the past at Amazon Go’s new supermarkets and pop-up stores slated to open next year. 

Bloomberg reports that Amazon is expanding from its Go convenience stores to enter the supermarket realm, and is looking to license out its technology to expand to even more retailers. The basis of Amazon Go’s stores is that customers can walk in, grab what they need, and go. An Amazon Go Supermarket would be larger than its convenience stores and offer more products, but have the same concept. 

Read more
Amazon Music’s free tier arrives on its Android, iOS, FireTV, and web apps
Amazon logo on the

Amazon Music’s free tier is now rolling out to its Android, iOS, FireTV, and web apps. Originally announced earlier this year, the ad-supported plan was initially restricted to Echo and other Alexa-powered smart home devices.

Similar to Spotify, Amazon Music’s free tier doesn’t offer on-demand access to its music library, but instead limits listeners to a selection of playlists and stations. Therefore, you can’t simply look up and play a specific album or track. For that, you will have to upgrade to one of the many premium Amazon Music subscriptions. Fortunately, to sign up for it, you don’t need an Amazon Prime membership or even a credit card.

Read more