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Amazon has reportedly struck a deal to open more than 10 Amazon Go stores across the UK, with a view to opening a further 20 sites down the line.
According to The Sunday Times, the first of these stores is expected to open in London before the end of the year.
Amazon Go stores operate without the need for checkouts or on-the-spot payments.
Shoppers who wish to purchase items in-store must first scan their smartphones in order to gain entry. Once inside, sensors track and record customers’ movements around the store, as well as record what products are taken from shelves and placed into baskets.
Customers can then exit the store without visiting a checkout. Amazon will instead bill their account electronically and email a receipt.
According to The Sunday Times, Amazon is also in discussions with shopping-centre owners to replace vacant units with Amazon bookstores or 4-Star, an Amazon-owned chain that exclusively features items rated four stars or higher on Amazon’s website.
Last week, the retail giant reported a surge in profits for the second quarter of the year as it revealed that net income doubled from $2.6bn (£1.9bn) to $5.2bn (£3.9bn), despite the impact of Covid-19.
It comes after it reported that net sales increased by 40% to $88.9bn (£67.6bn) in the second quarter, compared with $63.4 (£48.2bn) the previous year.
Looking ahead, the online retail giant expects Net sales to be between $87bn (£66bn) and $93bn (£70bn) or to grow between 24% and 33% compared with Q3 2019.
Operating income is also expected to be between $2bn (£1.5bn) and $5bn (£3.8bn), compared with $3.2bn (£2.4bn) the previous year. It added the guidance assumes more than $2bn of costs related to Covid-19.
