How are 21st century experiments in store design related to the first self-service stores?
Controlled Entry
Banks of cameras fill the ceiling of an Amazon Go store.
Surveillance
Today’s biometric and digital technology may be more sophisticated, but surveillance mechanisms were a defining feature of the first generation of self-service stores.
The Checkout
Digital technology may ultimately eliminate the checkout line, but the checkout process is still central to the overall store design. Self-service stores were designed from the beginning to work as machines for automatic selling. Our 21st century clerk-less stores are built on the foundation of the small grocerterias of the early 20th century.
