No ‘Go’ Soda Lines: Amazon’s Search for Ideal Cashierless Store

This summer, Amazon sought to answer a key question about its cashierless Go convenience stores: How small could it go?

Employees at Amazon were seeking to determine the smallest possible size and design for a Go store in order to hit its target of $2 million in annual sales from each store, according to an internal analysis prepared in June and viewed by The Information. To solve the puzzle, the company’s researchers designed a “feng shui” model, named after the Chinese system for creating harmonious energy, to simulate how efficient a Go store could be depending on various factors, from the square footage of the retail space to the product selection and rush hour foot traffic.