<h2>Amazon Go</h2>
<p>Starting today, shoppers in downtown Seattle have the opportunity to visit Amazon Go, a mini-market some are calling <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/21/technology/inside-amazon-go-a-store-of-the-future.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a &#8220;store of the future.&#8221;</a> The reason why is apparent nearly immediately upon entry — this store has no cash registers and no cashiers.</p>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/understanding-machine-learning-infographic/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/07/Understanding-Machine-Learning_home_v1.jpg" alt="Understanding Machine Learning [INFOGRAPHIC]" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><strong><a href="https://futurism.com/images/understanding-machine-learning-infographic/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></strong></figure>
<p>The entrance to Amazon Go features turnstiles like those found at subway stations, and with a swipe of the store&#8217;s smartphone app, shoppers are granted entry. Then, they can choose from a selection of items typically found at a compact supermarket or convenience store, such as soda, chips, and other small food items.</p>
<p>The store does not offer shopping carts or baskets. Shoppers instead put all of the items they intend to purchase directly into the bags they&#8217;ll take with them. While this part of the process could prove impractical if the concept is ever applied to a larger store, it works fine for the 1,800-square-foot market.</p>
<p>After picking out what they&#8217;d like to buy, shoppers simply walk back out the same gates they entered through — no waiting in line necessary. Cameras throughout the store use machine learning software to keep track of shoppers&#8217; chosen items, and their Amazon accounts are charged once they leave.</p>
<h2>Future of Convenience</h2>
<p>Amazon is already <a href="https://splinternews.com/amazon-go-fuck-yourselves-1822299845" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing backlash</a> for their new shop&#8217;s potential to eliminate retail jobs if widely adopted. However, the company has not confirmed whether or not more Amazon Go stores are on the way, so the Seattle location could simply be a novelty.</p>
<p>However, cashier-less convenience stores are just one example of the changes that could be forthcoming in the future of shopping.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PSVkW53AK8g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>One development that will likely be a part of the future of shopping <a href="https://futurism.com/kenya-becomes-latest-country-to-ban-plastic-bags/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is a decrease in plastic packaging</a>. Countries all over the world are <a href="https://futurism.com/china-is-enacting-a-plastic-waste-import-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">putting their foot down</a> when it comes to plastic waste, and that change is likely to <a href="https://futurism.com/end-plastic-officially-arrived/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affect future shopping experiences</a>.</p>
<p>Other technologies being tested for shopping environments include <a href="https://futurism.com/a-smart-street-in-london-is-transforming-the-future-of-shopping/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electricity-generating walkways and air-cleaning filters</a>. At CES 2018, Toyota even <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/8/16863092/toyota-e-palette-self-driving-car-ev-ces-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched a concept car</a> that drives the store right to shoppers.</p>
<p>The way we purchase everything from clothing to potato chips could drastically change within the next few years. Time will tell if Amazon Go&#8217;s innovations are among the technologies to stick.</p>


Amazon’s cashier-less convenience store is now open to the public

Future Society

At Amazon Go, cameras keep track of shoppers' purchases and their accounts are automatically charged when they leave — no checkout process necessary.

Amazon’s Cashier-Less Convenience Store Is Now Open to the Public

Shoppers simply pick out what they want and leave.

<h2>The Enemy of My Enemy&#8230;</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> is the dominant force in the online shopping sphere, and now, <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/about/" target="_blank">Google</a> and <a href="https://help.walmart.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6" target="_blank">Walmart</a> have decided to join forces in an attempt to take on the massive online retailer.</p>
<p>The two companies announced their partnership on Wednesday, August 23. Starting in September, Walmart products will begin appearing on <a href="https://express.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Express</a>. Customers will be able to link their Walmart account to Google to receive personalized shopping results based on previous purchases and shopping habits. The longterm goal is to allow them to order products using just their voice through <a href="https://assistant.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Assistant</a> or <a href="https://madeby.google.com/home/" target="_blank">Google Home</a>, the Android equivalent of the Amazon Echo.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F0F6SnbqUcE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>According to a <a href="http://blog.walmart.com/innovation/20170823/walmart-google-partner-to-make-shopping-even-easier-heres-how" target="_blank">blog post</a> written by Walmart President and CEO Marc Lore, the companies hope this partnership will make shopping easier for their customers now and in the future:</p>
<blockquote><p>When it comes to voice shopping, we want to make it as easy as possible for our customers. That’s why it makes sense for us to team up with Google. They’ve made significant investments in natural language processing and <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="58570" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">artificial intelligence</span> to deliver a powerful voice shopping experience. We know this means being compared side-by-side with other retailers, and we think that’s the way it should be. An open and transparent shopping universe is good for customers.</p></blockquote>
<h2>A Long Road Ahead</h2>
<p>This joint announcement marks the latest step the two companies have taken to compete with Amazon, a company that offers hundreds of millions of items, free shipping options, and digital music and video streaming.</p>
<p>Both Google and Walmart have their own free shipping options, with Walmart going so far as to provide free two-day shipping without the $99 subscription fee Amazon requires — as long as minimum purchase requirements are met. Meanwhile, to compete with Amazon Music and Amazon Instant Video, Google uses YouTube and Google Play Music, while Walmart has Vudu.</p>
<p>However, Amazon&#8217;s overall convenience and the speed with which it gets people from browsing to checkout is still unmatched, according to Erich Joachimsthaler, chief executive of brand consulting firm Vivaldi. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/technology/google-walmart-e-commerce-partnership.html" target="_blank">As he told <em>The New York Times</em></a>, “Convenience — convenience is where the game lies.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SthQHLEDwrM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Walmart may be <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurengensler/2016/05/27/global-2000-worlds-largest-retailers/#34be09b6bbb0" target="_blank">the world&#8217;s biggest retailer overall</a>, but based on customer numbers, Amazon is just simply <em>the</em> online retailer of choice. In July, Walmart.com drew in 83.6 millions visitors, which is only about half of what Amazon pulled in during the same time. Those customers could choose from about 67 million items on Walmart&#8217;s website, and although that is a 10 million increase from early last year, hundreds of millions of items are sold via Amazon.</p>
<p>While this Google partnership likely won&#8217;t be enough to push Walmart ahead of Amazon online, Craig Johnson, president of retail researching firm Customer Growth Partners, thinks it could make the retailer &#8220;a strong No. 2.&#8221; That might be the best Walmart can hope for as Amazon appears to have no plans to give up the crown any time soon.</p>


Google and Walmart have announced a new partnership that will put both in better positions to compete with online retailer Amazon.

The World’s Largest Retailer Is Partnering with Google in an Effort to Beat Amazon

The company joins Target, Costco, and Whole Foods on Google Express.

This is going to completely change shopping as we know it…

This is going to completely change shopping as we know it...

Amazon Go: World’s Advanced Shopping Experience

In the future, doing the weekly shopping could be as easy swinging by to pick up fast food.

Sci-Fi Visions

This Supermarket is the Future of Shopping

<h5>The Story</h5>
<p>Japanese clothing company Uniqlo is using an EKG headset to analyze the brainwaves of customers to best match them to t-shirts. The algorithm splits up the data to determine five attributes: interest, like, stress, concentration and drowsiness, and match the customer to the shirt designs that have been previously analyzed for interests.</p>
<h5>The Future of Shopping?</h5>
<p>This tech is more than likely a gimmick or media stunt, but it does make you wonder about the future of shopping. Will computers ever be able to truly determine our interests from analyzing our brain waves? Will this technology lead to a new era of hyper-targeted advertising? Only time will tell.</p>


FromQuarkstoQuasars

Uniqlo is using an EKG headset to measure five different attributes of the customer and then match them with clothes that best suits their preferences

/Shopping

Future Society

Amazon’s Cashier-Less Convenience Store Is Now Open to the Public

Future Society

The World’s Largest Retailer Is Partnering with Google in an Effort to Beat Amazon

Future Society

Amazon Go: World’s Advanced Shopping Experience

Sci-Fi Visions

This Supermarket is the Future of Shopping

FromQuarkstoQuasars

Clothing retailer uses brain waves to match customers with t-shirts

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