More Amazon Go stores are opening in downtown Chicago

Chicago already has four Amazon Go stores, and soon, the Loop will get two more. All the locations are downtown at the base of major office towers.

The first Amazon Go store in Chicago opened in November 2018 on Franklin Street near Willis Tower. Shortly after the cashierless stores opened at Adams and Clark, Ogilvie, and the Illinois Center.

Two new locations, a 1,425-square-foot space at One Two Pru (previously Prudential Plaza) and a 930-square-foot store at the Merchandise Mart are opening soon, according to an Amazon representative.

To shop at Amazon Go, visitors must download the store’s app and scan it to get past the turnstiles. The items range from ready-made sandwiches, toiletries, cough drops, beer, phone chargers, and Amazon meal-kits. Sensors and cameras track your purchases and put them into a virtual shopping cart. When you leave, Amazon sends a receipt and charges your account.

Early in 2018, Amazon opened its first cashierless store in Seattle. Chicago was the first city outside the company’s headquarters to test out the high-tech shop. Currently there are 13 Amazon Go stores open across Seattle, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. The tech company has previously said it plans to open 3,000 Amazon Go stores by 2021.