Amazon, Standard AI: Taking Stress out of Shopping with AI

Fast food is embedded in the DNA of consumers, so how about fast shopping? It is an enticing prospect to consider, making supermarkets queues and the rush to pack bags things of the past.

Thanks to AI and ever-advancing technology, companies including Amazon, Standard AI, Deligo Vision and Lenovo are ushering in the era of frictionless shopping.

Some modern kiosks identify entire carts instantly, ending the decades-long frustration for shoppers of either scanning every individual barcode or waiting for a till attendant to do it. In an industry where every second counts, retailers know that it is a bottleneck that has to be eliminated.

Necessity is the mother of invention, so some of the globe biggest businesses and retailers are using AI and new technology to create retail kiosks and autonomous systems that use sophisticated computer vision and intelligent sensor pads to identify an entire basket of items simultaneously, allowing customers to pay and leave in seconds without ever touching a scanner.

Computer vision tracks every purchase

Amazon’s "Just Walk Out" technology is a prime example of this frictionless revolution. The system combines advanced AI, computer vision, sensor fusion and, increasingly, radio-frequency identification (RFID) to deliver a seamless, checkout-free shopping experience that is fast and flexible across different store formats.

Shoppers can enter a store by tapping a payment method, pick up their items – including pre-packaged meals, snacks, produce, or merchandise – and walk out.

The technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to shelves, maintaining a virtual cart for each person. Payment is processed automatically after they leave.

Andy Jassy, Amazon President and CEO, spoke earlier this year about the need for this shopping evolution.

Amazon CEO on connected LLM integration

Andy explained that general-purpose large language models are creating new entry points for retail, but said the company is not finished in its frictionless mission.

"We're advancing our connected trip vision, continuing to build out AI capabilities that create more value for both travellers and partners. Customers naturally want to see progress.”

He said that in 2026 the focus is on a deeper integration of these agentic capabilities. The company is currently rolling out portable RFID lanes for temporary venues like pop-up shops and festivals, reducing deployment from weeks to hours to keep fans in the action.

Vision analytics understand shopper behaviour

Another significant player, Standard AI, is moving autonomous retail technology away from the core model of checkout and into comprehensive vision analytics. Angie Westbrock, Standard AI CEO, has outlined a vision that uses the company's continuous data capture and AI modelling to boost revenue and understand shopper behaviour.

Standard AI’s latest offering, Zone Monitoring, uses computer vision to identify in-store traffic patterns, shopper interactions and shrinkage

It watches for empty shelves, allowing retailers to optimise merchandising and minimise lost sales opportunities. This breakthrough in technology provides a level of retailer-customer connectivity that has not previously been possible.

Writing in a blog, Angie said: “As consumers expect a more seamless shopping journey across channels, AI is helping retailers integrate in-store engagement metrics with their digital strategies. For example, in-store data can be used to inform personalised digital promotions, creating a unified and responsive omnichannel experience.”

AI self checkout transforms the grab-and-go market

Addressing a different aspect of the frictionless journey, Grabandgo, through its Deligo Vision technology, is redefining the checkout process specifically for grab-and-go stores, corporate campuses and hospital cafes.

Deligo offers AI-powered self-checkout kiosks that eliminate the need to touch screens or scan barcodes, providing visual recognition of products for item identification. Shoppers place their sandwiches, plated salads or snacks on the kiosk and the basket is instantly identified and calculated automatically.

Customers tap their card to pay and can receive digital receipts via QR code or email, often completing the transaction in 30 seconds or less.

Kiosks remove the bottleneck of convenience stores

This approach combats shrinkage – the loss of inventory between buying from a supplier and selling to a customer – through instant visual identification of items, improving on single overhead cameras with unique dual camera technology.

Josh Munford, a senior executive on the Deligo team, commented on the frictionless journey. He said: "We were promised speed by self-checkout, but now see added friction. Deligo’s visual AI removes the human-machine bottleneck of convenience stores and transforms how we use checkouts."

This frictionless visual recognition is designed to boost transaction numbers, minimise queues, reclaim floor space for merchandise and empower staff to focus on other tasks.

Real-time digital twins power stadium retail

Manufacturers and tech partners like Lenovo are also integrating advanced AI-powered spatial intelligence to monitor people and objects in real-time.

By generating a 3D digital twin of a physical store environment, retailers can receive continuous analytics and alerts, labelled video evidence and integration APIs. This technology is currently deployed at major stadiums and venues to keep travellers moving with efficient retail experiences and extended operating hours.

Across the globe, the wait for frictionless shopping is not over. But it is getting shorter.