American analysts consider it the format of the future. You enter with your smartphone, take the products from the shelves and exit comfortably. Amazon Go, the 2.0 store designed by the e-commerce giant, which also owns the Whole Foods chain, currently has ten stores in Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco. But, in the plans of Jeff Bezos, after overcoming the initial difficulties, it is destined for a record expansion, reaching 3 thousand stores by the end of 2021.
Meanwhile, in the San Francisco’s store that Italianfood.net visited some time ago, several Italian brands stand out, as a testimony of the central role Italian cuisine plays, confirmed by the recipes of healthy meal kits and ready-made veggie dishes among other things. There is the extra virgin olive oil Bertolli (7.59 dollars per 500ml), next to the balsamic vinegar of Modena PGI Colavita, at 4.99 dollars. In addition, Sanpellegrino water and illycaffè coffee, as well as several De Cecco pasta products, at $ 2.79 for 453g packs.
THE URBAN AMAZON GO CONCEPT
Amazon Go is an extremely fancy, technically sophisticated and convenient urban concept. Probably, nothing more customer friendly and frictionless can exist. Another step in this direction is is the recent announcement of 2020 launch of a new grocery store concept. Smaller format (35,000 sq.ft / 3,200 sq.m) with lower priced conventional-discount assortment. This announcement shook up the markets and many stock prices. The Amazon phenomenon goes far beyond just retail business. A phenomenon where failure and taking risks can actually become a winning strategy. As always, the key is focusing on customers.