Three weeks after opening its first Amazon Go store outside of Seattle at 113 South Franklin Street in the Loop, the e-commerce giant opened another at 144 South Clark Street this week.
The 1,200-square-foot store will soon be joined by another in a 1,700-square-foot space at 500 West Madison Street, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Franklin Street store fills 2,000 square feet on the first floor of the building where Amazon’s Chicago offices are located.
Amazon Go customers must scan an app on their phone as they enter the store, and then cameras and other sensors track what they take off the shelves. Their accounts are charged as they leave the store.
Dilip Kumar, vice president of technology for Amazon Go and Amazon Books, told the Tribune drinks and meal kits have been popular at the first store, and that customers seem to like products from local vendors.
Amazon’s plans to roll out 3,000 of its cashier-free stores in the next three years could come with a $3 billion price tag, Morgan Stanley analysts said.
Kumar declined to comment on expansion plans beyond saying the company intends to open Amazon Go stores in New York and San Francisco next.[https://therealdeal.com/2018/09/14/amazon-go-could-be-200x-bigger-in-10-years-sitt/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook] [Chicago Tribune]—John O’Brien