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Washington's first Amazon Fresh grocery store opens in Bellevue, features new shopping technology

The store is Amazon’s first full-size cashierless grocery store in the region

By Lindsey Kirschman, SeattlePI

|Updated
The exterior of the Amazon Fresh store in Bellevue, Washington.

The exterior of the Amazon Fresh store in Bellevue, Washington.

Amazon

For Eastside shoppers looking for a quick and easy grocery shopping experience, the first full-service Amazon Fresh grocery store with "Just Walk Out" shopping technology opened in Bellevue this week.

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Located at the Marketplace at Factoria, the store allows shoppers to simply "enter the store, grab what they want, and just go." For those who prefer to do their shopping with a cashier, traditional check-out lanes are also available.

“Just Walk Out” works like this: upon entry to the grocery store, shoppers will be prompted on their phone to scan the QR code within the Amazon app or insert a credit card linked to their Amazon account. Anything shoppers remove from the shelves will be added to their cart; anything put back will be removed from their cart. Once finished, simply scan or insert your payment entry method again to exit. The “Just Walk Out” gates will only open automatically for shoppers who chose the virtual experience upon entry. 

Just Walk Out technology allows customers to exit the store through a gate, skipping the line.

Just Walk Out technology allows customers to exit the store through a gate, skipping the line.

Amazon

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“Bringing Just Walk Out technology to a full-size grocery space with the Amazon Fresh store in Bellevue showcases the technology’s continued ability to scale and adapt to new environments and selection," said Dilip Kumar, vice president of physical retail and technology at Amazon. "I’m thrilled it’ll help even more customers enjoy an easier and faster way to shop and I can’t wait to get their feedback on this latest Just Walk Out offering.”

Guests who choose the traditional grocery shopping experience will be prompted to enter through a designated exterior entrance. Once finished shopping, traditional checkout lines staffed with Amazon employees will be there to greet them. Customers can choose to pay using cash, card, Amazon One — technology that allows patrons to use a palm scan to pay — the in-store code in the Amazon app, or SNAP EBT.

Guests can also choose a traditional checkout experience.

Guests can also choose a traditional checkout experience.

Amazon

Shoppers who choose “Just Walk Out” shopping will receive a digital receipt while those who chose the more traditional experience will walk out with a paper copy. Shoppers who are Amazon members and chose the check-out lines will receive both.

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The new Bellevue store is open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lindsey Kirschman is a web producer for the SeattlePI.