Amazon’s Innovation to Touch Down in Irvine

By: Alyssa Naigan

Though technological innovations in the past decade prove that online shopping is the future of consumerism, Amazon began opening physical grocery shops—namely Amazon Go—back in Jan.2018. Plans of expanding the locations have landed the company’s newest addition in Irvine.

Amazon has become a household name within the last 10 years, and they have no intention to be forgotten any time soon. They have been changing the marketplace over the past few years by introducing a new way for consumers to purchase anything with a click of a button and having it shipped to them within days. This transition from in-person shopping to digital shopping has sent many beloved companies into bankruptcy, such as the home movie rental corporation Blockbuster and the once successful American department store Sears. 

The brick and mortar shop isn’t just a replica of other grocery shops like Ralph’s or Albertson’s. Amazon intends for the Amazon Go locations to be sophisticated and minimalistic shops that are half the size of the typical grocery store. This setup gives customers a convenient way to find their groceries, all while incorporating high-tech cameras and sensors that let them skip the checkout line. Now, customers can just walk out of the store and are automatically charged for all the groceries that they picked up. 

“Amazon Go is the disruptor that essentially replaces everything that is used to transact,” Mark Cohen, who has spent decades in the retail industry and leading retail studies at Columbia Business School, said.

Amazon’s plans to expand in the Los Angeles area will begin in the more densely populated suburban areas of Woodland Hills and Irvine by the end of this year.