Amazon opens first Whole Foods equipped with cashierless technology

Image: Amazon

Amazon's Just Walk Out technology allows customers to shop and leave the store with their items without having to interact with a cashier. The Whole Foods store in Washington, DC's Glover Park neighborhood has been open for over 20 years.

This is the first time that Amazon has brought cashierless grocery stores to a Whole Foods store. Amazon bought the grocery chain for $13.7 billion, but until now the brand's integration with Amazon has been more minimal, consisting of discounts and free delivery for Prime subscribers.

Image: Amazon

Image: Amazon

There is a 25,000 square foot Amazon Fresh store with Just Walk Out tech that is the largest store to use Amazon's cashierless technology. It shows that Amazon is confident in its technology and is willing to bring it to a store that doesn't have it in its name. The New York Times inquired about whether the technology would be added to all Whole Foods stores.

According to a NYT reporter who visited the store, Whole Foods has Amazon's palm-recognition technology for entry. The cashierless technology is explained by a number of employees at the store. The store has a bread-slicer that customers can use to slice their own loaves. If customers don't want to use Just Walk Out, they can choose self-service checkouts.

The cashierless technology has proved divisive with customers who used to shop at Whole Foods before it was renovated. One customer likened the technology to the state of paranoia seen in 1984 while others were willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

The Washington, DC store is one of two Whole Foods stores that Amazon will open later this year with cashierless technology.