Amazon wants customers to be able to leave their wallets at home and still go shopping, as long as they have their smartphones on hand.
The online retail giant is opening up a brick-and-mortar store in Seattle called Amazon Go, and the store uses a mix of sensors and computer learning to track what items customers pick up and to automatically add them to their Amazon accounts.
Amazon identifies each customer using a QR code, which individuals scan before entering the store. The store offers groceries, ready-made food, and Amazon meal kits. Currently, Amazon Go is only accessible to the company’s employees, but Amazon says it will open its doors to the public in early 2017.