Hundreds of Jobs Targeted for Elimination at Whole Foods in RI and MA as Amazon Go Tech Rolls Out

Hundreds of Jobs Targeted for Elimination at Whole Foods in RI and MA as Amazon Go Tech Rolls Out

The technology that Amazon first rolled out in its Amazon Go convenience stores starting in 2018 is now poised to replace cashiers at Whole Foods across the country.  

According to reports, Amazon, which purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017, is planning to roll out the technology that tracks shoppers and products via sensors so consumers can grab their items and leave without stopping to physically check out.

But the technology may go far beyond just Whole Foods — Amazon is looking to license it to retailers in multiple sectors.

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The technology is presently deployed at 26 Amazon Go stores — In cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and New York. Currently, it is scheduled to begin to roll out in the second quarter of 2021 for Whole Foods at the company’s over 500 locations.

 

Rhode Island and Massachusetts Whole Foods

Today, the Providence market Whole Foods have vacancies and the company boasts it offers competitive health benefits, career learning and development and “we promote team member growth and happiness.”

The local region of Whole Foods includes the Cranston Garden City store, the two markets on the East Side of Providence, and the store over the state line in Bellingham MA. 

But the number of team members could get a lot smaller.

 

Technology and Licensing

Business Insider says the Whole Foods deployment is designed to demonstrate that technology to other retailers. 

“The etailer [Amazon] has a limited need for in-store innovations, so its focus is likely on licensing its technologies to other merchants. In addition to the technology Amazon uses at its Go stores, the firm has reportedly developed shopping carts that use autonomous checkout technology and hand-scanning biometric payments — all of which could create a more seamless in-store shopping experience,” reports Business Insider. 

“But Amazon's business isn't focused on brick-and-mortar — its physical stores brought in $17 billion in sales in 2019, while its online stores racked up $141 billion — so it likely hopes to license its tech to other merchants to boost its revenue and possibly access more in-store data. In fact, it already started to license Amazon Go's technology, dubbed 'Just Walk Out,' bringing it to an airport retailer,” according to BI.

Note, in 2013, Jeff Bezos invested $5 million in Business Insider.

GoLocal began reporting on the wireless, retail technology in 2018.