Whenever someone comes to visit us in Seattle, we're inwardly psyched because we get to go on tourist mode and bring them around to the coolest places in town.
Apart from Amazon Spheres (read here for our experience), Amazon Go is an interesting place to drop by with a visitor and grab some refreshments.
Is Amazon Go Open to the Public?
Yes! Amazon Go was undergoing beta testing for some time (and only accessible to employees then) but now it’s finally open to public.
What is Amazon Go & What’s Cool About It?
Amazon Go uses advanced shopping technology to operate a no lines, no checkout – just grab and go - automated store!
You literally walk out of the store with your purchases without pulling out your wallet or meeting a cashier. There’s no need for self-checkout too. Terrific for busy people who don’t have time for queues.
We checked out the first Amazon Go store, located in Amazon’s Day 1 building. It is their flagship store with snacks, meal kits, beverages, some groceries and even liquor for purchase. It’s about the size of a corner convenience store, so don’t expect the regular supermarket where you can buy a week’s worth of food to stock up your fridge. It’s more for lunch-goers who need to fill up their tummies.
There's a small eating area near the Amazon Go store gantry where you can tuck into your meal. If the weather's inviting, sit at the grassy open space next to the store to people-watch!
Our Experience
For such a small store, it stocks many interesting and well-curated brands and products. I grabbed a few VOSS artesian water bottles (the empty bottles make great sensory bottles) and then pondered over which exotic beverage to drink on a hot summer day.
There were so many variants of Coca Cola and Canada Dry canned drinks, many of which I’ve not seen at other supermarkets. At long last, I decided upon a Canada Dry Green Tea drink, which turned out to be refreshing with a kick! Many of the items are local brands and Amazon's house brands, such as Wickedly Prime and 365.
Gwen took a cookie and placed it back onto the shelf but at the wrong section 🤣 We noticed that the cookie was charged to our bill and contacted the team who quickly rectified the mistake and refunded us.
How to Shop at Amazon Go?
Download the Amazon Go app and tap your smartphone at the gantry before entering. Your smartphone's the only shopping aide you need!
If you bring older children to Amazon Go, you might be able to surprise them by walking out of the store without paying!
Follow #gweninnature on Instagram for my chronicles of traipsing North America with a toddler and seeing the world through her eyes.
You might also like:
Hi! I am Yunnie. I am the newly minted mama to a little baby girl and a mum friend to everyone on this special (and many times scary) journey of motherhood. Also a graduated bride with a penchant for weddings.
