Forget Amazon Go’s Checkout-less Shopping. These 4 Retail Trends Are Coming Sooner

With the much-anticipated launch of its convenience store Amazon Go, the e-commerce giant seemingly ushered in the next big trend in retail: the absence of cash registers and the people needed to work them. In fact, there’s already a startup called AiFi working on the technology–which involves artificial intelligence, cameras, and sensors–to allow any retailer to convert its shops into “grab and go” operations in which customers simply take items from shelves and leave. But cash register-less stores is only one part of where retail is heading in the future. And, for the record, that trend won’t be going mainstream anytime soon. Even Amazon plans only to roll out up to six Amazon Go stores this year. David Marcotte, senior vice president of retail insights at Kantar Consulting, points out that the technology still costs a lot of money, not everyone uses mobile payments in the U.S., and to be successful these stores typically must be located in upscale neighborhoods. (Amazon Go is in Seattle, and AiFi plans on launching stores in San Francisco and New York City.) But there are plenty of other changes happening in retail. Here are four other predictions you’re likely to see a whole lot sooner. Read more at Inc.