Here’s a thought starter: Is it a product failure if a retailer installs Amazon’s cashier-less Just Walk Out technology but no customers actually use it to check out?
While it’s tempting to say yes, the performance analytics potential of Just Walk Out may make it very valuable even if no one uses it to check out. Analogous to how website analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Market Cloud [formerly Omniture]), track every customer click or hover so that merchandisers can optimize the experience, I could foresee Just Walk Out becoming a “store analytics” platform that provides similar data and insights to retailers.
Recently Amazon announced that its Just Walk Out technology was being implemented in Whole Foods stores, in addition to its current place at Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh Stores. Just Walk Out is available for retailers to license similar to the way AWS licenses technology products to third parties.