Amazon has announced plans to open a second Amazon Go convenience store in Seattle. The store will be slightly smaller than its first Amazon Go format — 1,450 square feet rather than 1,800 — and will feature a ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack products, along with Amazon Meal Kits.

Go store format seems to be checking many of the demands on shopper wishlists: convenience, premium quality and tech-driven experience, to name a few. It remains to be seen, however, how the concept will play beyond the retail giant’s home base of Seattle.

Amazon’s smaller format should appeal to consumers who prefer to make need-based fill-in trips rather than the weekly stock-up visits that have traditionally characterized supermarket shopping, according to Nielsen. The firm finds that globally, 46% of consumers view grocery shopping as a chore and that 10% say they go shopping just for the meal they need on a given day. Large stores will continue to be relevant in specific markets, but the firm noted small stores in high-traffic areas that offer quick in-and-out shopping will continue to grow sales at a faster pace.

Customers also like the convenience of skipping the check-out line, and Amazon Go allows customers to place items in a cart and to be automatically charged — no cashier or self-checkout necessary — with charges reversed if the customer puts items back on the shelf. Similarly, Kroger’s Scan, Bag, Go lets shoppers use their mobile phones or special handheld devices to ring up items as they shop, skipping the front end altogether.

Source fooddive.com