Amazon has elicited round-the-world interest in the launch of its long-awaited supermarket model, which has no checkout operators or self-service tills. Tipped to revolutionise retail, could the technology transition into foodservice, and what are the implications for human interaction? MCA asked Wagamama, Flypay, Yumpingo and We Are Spectacular for their take.
Stuart Wright, head of strategy + innovation at Wagamama
Broadly speaking, I think an appreciation of the customer experience is obviously essential and, where possible, removing any weaknesses or pinch points can only be a good thing.
However, in hospitality we benefit from having positive, human interactions, which, when done well, elevate the whole customer experience. So for us, it’s about using technology to augment the human interactions, not replace them.
Tom Weaver, chief executive of Flypay
Amazon Go continues the trajectory of most commerce technologies: making buying things as frictionless as possible. Friction - the number of steps and amount of hassle required to buy something - ultimately lowers spend. In these early stages, replicating or utilising the combinations of technologies Amazon have deployed will be capital intensive. It will be interesting to see whether Amazon keep the tech for themselves, or look at partner stores using it - but their history with technology like Amazon Alexa suggest that they would rather have a large ecosystem locked into their technology over being the brand on the tin, unlike someone like Apple, for instance.
If the technology proves to make buying things faster and easier and is cost efficient in doing so, there is an air of inevitability about its potential to change retail and retail hospitality. What will then be interesting is how it could be applied further to, for example, fast food, fast casual, casual dining and other verticals. If one can seamlessly link identity (of consumers), payment, and what people are buying - things can ultimately involve no friction at all.
Mark McColluch, of We are Spectacular branding and marketing agency
For grab and go it could be great, but it really depends on what you’re grabbing and going. At Leon for example, the team play a vital part in delivering the brand. It’s a different to supermarket where things are sealed and canned, and staff are just performing a transactional element.
There’s more to it in restaurants, it’s a different customers journey. Brands would need to figure out the balance and pay off of sacrificing that personal interaction, versus people getting what they want. It’s really a convenience question.
Automated cooking might be a step too far, but in service stations, garages, and in The City, I think it would work incredibly well – though you would still want to offer that branded experience.
Gary Goodman, chief executive of food intelligence platform Yumpingo
I think this is a game changer. As consumers we will always seek a more convenient way to transact.
Many restaurants will benefit from table turn and reducing staff levels and transforming lost dining engagement with guests.
However Amazon apps are already on most of our phones so for them adoption of this kind of service is going to be much easier than the restaurant sector. I suspect for this service to gain traction in our sector, consumers will need to be able to rely on one or two super apps enabling friction free ordering and payment across a number of restaurant brands.
