Amazon has announced it will no longer be using the innovative "Just Walk Out" technology in its Amazon Fresh grocery stores in the USA. Instead, customers are encouraged to use the Dash Cart technology, which is already in use at some Fresh locations, allowing them to scan items directly with the shopping cart during their shopping, without the need to interact with a cashier.

This decision follows considerations in retail regarding the best handling of the payment process in stores. While some retailers have introduced various forms of self-service checkouts, which have not always been popular with customers, some are reverting back after years.

Last month, the discount store Five Below announced plans to limit self-checkout counters to prevent theft.

The "Just Walk Out" Technology, which relies on cameras and shelf sensors and automatically charges customers through a smartphone app upon leaving the store, was a significant innovation upon its launch a few years ago. There are currently 44 Amazon Fresh stores in the USA, of which 27 are using this technology.

The heading translates to English as follows:

"The decision to remove the technology was first reported by The Information, but it will continue to be used in the convenience-store-like Amazon Go locations as well as in smaller Amazon Fresh stores in the United Kingdom and by some third-party providers."

Amazon also plans to install self-service checkouts and intends to continue to offer staffed checkouts. In addition to its own brick-and-mortar locations, the e-commerce giant also owns the supermarket chain Whole Foods Market, which it acquired in 2017 for more than 13 billion dollars.