In 2018, Amazon introduced a cashier-less technology known as “Just Walk Out” at a store in Seattle. This system tracks the items shoppers take and charges them automatically. The process involves human moderators who review transactions and label footage remotely.
The recent layoffs will affect part of the AWS identity and checkout teams within the Physical Stores Technology organization, as shared by Dilip Kumar, vice president of AWS applications, in a message to employees. These layoffs come after Amazon’s largest job cut round approximately 14 months ago when 18,000 corporate roles were eliminated as part of cost-cutting efforts following a hiring surge driven by the pandemic.
Bezos envisioned a store where customers could enter, grab what they needed, and leave without any delays. He believed that waiting in lines was the worst part of physical retail and aimed to eliminate it with “Just Walk Out.” This project was spearheaded by Jeff Bezos with the aim of setting Amazon apart in the grocery market.
Amazon has emphasized that these decisions, though tough, are necessary to optimize resources and continue delivering innovation for their customers. The company has also pledged to support affected employees in transitioning to new roles within or outside of Amazon.
This situation highlights the challenging decisions that companies like Amazon are faced with as they navigate through a rapidly changing business and technological landscape.
