Futuristic Amazon Fresh grocery store opens in borough – without any tills
By Rory Poulter
25th Nov 2021 | Local News
Amazon has opened its first 'till-free' futuristic convenience store in the Borough with more to come.
The Amazon Fresh outlets are the first convenience grocery stores in Britain to offer what the company calls 'Just Walk Out Technology'.
The new outlet on the Upper Richmond Road, East Sheen, relies on a mix of cameras and sensors to identify what people are buying.
In order to get into the store, shoppers are required to scan in at a turnstile using the Amazon Fresh shopping app on their smartphone.
The entire shopping experience is monitored – Big Brother style – as people pick items up and put them in their bags. They are then automatically charged through the Amazon app after leaving the store, rather than going through a till.
The outlet is the seventh opened by Amazon in the UK and hundreds more are planned including the Richmond and Twickenham areas.
A spokesman said: "The store offers everything you'd want from your local convenience grocery store, including fresh meat, poultry and fish, dairy, fruit and veg, bakery and more. There will also be hot food throughout the day and tasty on-the-go meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner."
The 2,500 square feet outlet is open from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week.
The company's recruitment ads for the store said it was looking for graduates at a pay rate of £11.10 an hour for both full and part-time jobs.
South West London is seen as offering rich pickings to Amazon, which is the owner of the Whole Foods Market store in central Richmond.
The area is already well-served by supermarkets and convenience stores with Tesco holding a dominant position, which points to a fierce battle to win customers.
However, the Amazon Fresh outlets are not in any way a budget option with prices and the selection of produce and bakery items closer to those offered by Waitrose.
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