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Amazon Go

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Re: Amazon Go

#811

Post by binoct »

chronic92 wrote: post #774
throwaway98237 wrote: post #768

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"They don't go to the grocery store for social interaction..." False. Sometime I go to the grocery store for social interaction. You know, to get out. I generally go to a particular wine shop cause I like chatting with the guy at the counter. The idea that we do all this "stuff" ("processes") to get "stuff" done, and then separately we go somewhere for the express and sole purpose of socializing, is just clearly wron…

You're going to back up your claim with anecdotal evidence? The overwhelming majority of people do not go to the grocery store as a social exercise. People view it as a chore. They want to get in and out as soon as possible.

To be fair, there's no evidence presented to support your claim either.

Re: Amazon Go

#812

Post by mrcabada »

This seems easy to outsmart or confuse.

What if I go with someone that doesn't have an Amazon Go account grabs some stuff for me and throw it to me?

Or how about I go with someone that has an Amazon Go account too and we divide in two, he goes for the milks I go for the cereals. We meet just before the "check-out" and he gives me my milk I give him his cereal.

I'd need to know more about the technical stuff to know how it could be confused, or to know if it's even possible to.

Re: Amazon Go

#813

Post by CrLf »

homakov wrote: post #733
CrLf wrote: post #450

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am unsure we are evolving. We have evolved in many areas that solve real problems, like healthcare and such, but I'm not sure today's society is any better for all the technology that allows us to save a couple of minutes in a queue. To improve the efficiency of a particular group, we create problems elsewhere. The result may not be net positive. In fact, I think it isn't, since those saved "couple of minutes" will…

Good point of view, and indeed procrastination is the opposite of evolving. However "I am unsure we are evolving" sounds like paradox. Isn't a version 2 of anything always "evolving" by definition? Otherwise, what's "better"?

"all change is not progress as all movement is not forward"

Re: Amazon Go

#814

Post by bdamm »

smellycat wrote: post #753
bdamm wrote: post #737

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your government may enforce these interactions if it so chooses. I'd prefer my government did not, and leaves the choice of where I get my social interactions up to me.

At no point did I say this should be outlawed. But as a society, we should look at these types of "innovations" and question whether it's actually providing benefit to the longterm, wellbeing of our people and our ability to function together collectively.

If a person's only social interaction that is providing meaningful wellbeing is talking with the clerk at the grocery store, then I'd say the person in question is in need of serious help that the clerk cannot provide. They need to find social groups. Personally, I hate standing in line and avoid many businesses because of the slow line-ups. I'd rather be on my way so I can go to my family and friends where the bottle of wine I just picked up is to be consumed. Convenience is not the anathema of society. Not making time for each other may be. Forcing it on each other is a weak "solution".

Re: Amazon Go

#815

Post by karambahh »

LyndsySimon wrote: post #452
anonbanker wrote: post #391

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a few: EDIT : Multiple lawsuits for predatory pricing: https://ilsr.org/walmart-charged-predatory-pricing/ http://www.academia.edu/1511858/The_Effect_of_Wal-Mart_on_Sm... http://business.time.com/2014/02/24/walmarts-big-push-to-go-... http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/study-proves-wa... here's a few directly related to wage fraud: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/18/walmart_n_4466850.h... http:…

> http://www.academia.edu/1511858/The_Effect_of_Wal-Mart_on_Sm... . This is literally someone's homework. > http://business.time.com/2014/02/24/walmarts-big-push-to-go-... . This offers no evidence of any harm at all. > http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/study-proves-wa... . This talks about a study (but doesn't link to it) that says: "The payroll results indicate that Wal-Mart store openings lead to declin…

I used to work for one the largest competitors of Walmart in Europe.

In France and many European countries to open a supermarket you need approval from a local and national administration. They check if your supermarket will endanger local commerce or existing big box retailers.

This is one of the reasons why Costco has delayed it's opening in Paris suburbs. All major european retailers fought (openly or covertly) against the permit and won several times.

Fear of the "big American Wolf" aside, it is a well known fact that letting a big box store or a retail park open near a busy city center will cause damages to the city center: some mom and pop shops will move onto the retail park, national clothing chains will do the same. Once almost everything a consumer needs has left for a nearby retail park, the city center economy collapses. Once the city center starts to collapse, it drives even more consumers to the retail park in a cascading effect.

I'm on mobile atm so I can only offer anecdotal evidence but I know several economic studies have been made on that subject.

A side effect of this regulated model is the prevalence of drive through supermarkets in France. All chains have opened an enormous amount of these. The reason is quite simple: the regulation is enforced for surfaces larger than 400 square metres. Drives have at most 10 square metres open to the public so were free to set shop anywhere. It took a few years to close that loophole...and the meantime carrefour, auchan, le clerc, casino, cora all opened dozens to hundreds of locations.

Re: Amazon Go

#816

Post by edpichler »

delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

I agree with you, it's pleasant to go to the local market. You don't mind waiting on a line for 5 minutes, but do you mind paying more for the same product?

With automation, supermarket costs will reduce, otherwise there would be no reason to automate.

This also happens with books, buying online is not so pleasant as go to a store, but people do, for different reasons.

Re: Amazon Go

#817

Post by Kiro »

delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

I feel the complete opposite. I always avoid cashiers I recognize. I hate that unnecessary relationship. I want to buy stuff without another human being involved.

Re: Amazon Go

#818

Post by gdulli »

delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

I agree. I do some shopping online but by default stick to brick and mortar. I like keeping excuses to be out in the real world interacting with people, as the need to do so is vanishing.

Though appealing to Amazon, of all companies, about humanity where workers are involved is sadly, comically unfitting.

Re: Amazon Go

#819

Post by preordained »

saint_fiasco wrote: post #748
delegate wrote: post #387

Look, I know this might not be a popular view here on HN, but I think this is useless. And bad. I'm not talking about the technology behind it (I think it's an amazing achievement).. I live in Barcelona and I have at least 5 medium-sized supermarkets within 5 minutes walking distance from my home. Plus there are several smaller shops that sell fruits and vegetables. I know all the people who work in these supermarket…

If the only reason those people have jobs is that we feel pity for them and don't want to automate their work, then what they have is not a job. It's just disguised welfare. Why not just give them actual welfare?

But will we...give them actual welfare, training, some transition? Or are we going to bring in the automation and let nature take its course?

Re: Amazon Go

#820

Post by dogma1138 »

dimino wrote: post #618
dogma1138 wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stores bake that into the cost of doing business, it's like dropping something and breaking it, in the vast vast majority of cases you won't be charged for it, just be clean up on aisle 3... Heck I've dropped jars or similar things during bagging after paying for them several times and every time I was offered a replacement. Mistakes happen, it's often considerably more expensive to deal with customer complaints espe…

It'd be nice, for the stores, if they didn't have to bake so much "attrition" into their accounting.

The attrition is going to be high anyhow, tons of stuff gets damaged during shipping, handling and stocking, tons more is never sold.

Most large stores take out nearly everything off the shelves at night even if it's still within it's "use before" date which on it's own is utterly nonsensical to begin with as most items don't expire for days, if not weeks, months and even years from the "use/best before" date.

People drop stuff, people mishandle goods, how many people squeeze a vegetable or a fruit to check if it's ripe damaging it? how many apples get a mushy spot because they banged around in the crate?

You are literally scraping the bottom of the barrel of inventory attrition when you are talking about perishable misplaced items, compared to everything else they are a rounding error.

There is a lot of loss baked into every supply chain, unless you are going to change it in it's entirety really don't bother with the end, the loss at the point of sale is minimal compared to everything else.

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