Cashier-less stores

amazon go exterior

Amazon Go's check-out free concept could point to the future of grocery stores: no lines and no cashiers.

Customers can check in at the entrance of the store with a new app called Amazon Go, and then pick up any items they need.

Amazon (AMZN) tracks the products automatically through a combination of computer vision and deep learning tech -- a trendy type of artificial intelligence in which computers recognize patterns in large data sets.

When you're finished shopping, you just leave the store. The store charges your Amazon account.

Related: Amazon's smart mirror patent teases the future of fashion

"No one in the history of retail has ever walked into a store and said 'I can't wait to stand in line for as long as possible,'" said Forrester's Witcher. "It solves one of the biggest pain points for all retailers, which is the check out process. That's why it's such a big deal."

The first Amazon Go store, located in Seattle, is still in beta mode and only open to employees for now.

Walmart (WMT) is also reportedly working on a store without cashiers.

First published January 16, 2018: 2:11 PM ET

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