Amazon announced today that it’s launching a new physical retail store analytics service that offer brands insights about the performance of their products, promotions and ad campaigns. The new service, Store Analytics, gives brands anonymized insights about their products in Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores in the United States that use Just Walk Out and Dash Cart technologies.
The company says the new service will give brands access to information about how their products are discovered, considered, and purchased, which will then help them make informed decisions about promotions and ad campaigns. Brands will also get access to anonymized data about how their products rank and perform. The service will also provide performance metrics for in-store campaigns, such as digital signage.
On the other hand, these insights will help Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores improve the shopper experience by making the store layout easier for shoppers to find their favorite items and discover new ones. The insights will also help the stores improve the selection and availability of products. Amazon notes that the insights will also help the stores deliver relevant promotions and advertising.
Amazon stressed that the data that is collected is aggregated and anonymized, and doesn’t contain any personal information. The company says it doesn’t share anything that can be linked back to individual shoppers. The data that’s shared only includes totals, averages and percentages about product, promotion, and ad campaign performance. For example, Amazon will share the percentage of how often a brand’s product was taken off the shelf and then purchased either during that store visit or later on Amazon.com.
“We never share personal information about shoppers, so the data brands receive will never include details such as their name, individual browsing data, or individual session details like the time of day they shopped or the store at which they shopped,” Amazon said in a blog post. “Further, no video or images of shoppers will be shared with brands as part of this service.”
Shoppers who don’t want the data used for Store Analytics can opt out on the company’s Store Analytics website. Shoppers who opt out can still use Just Walk Out technology and Amazon Dash Carts in Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores, the company notes.
Amazon says the data-driven Store Analytics that are provided to brands will help them to “evolve and refine their assortment, merchandising, and advertising over time.”
Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology uses a combination of cameras, sensors, computer vision techniques and deep learning to allow customers to shop, then leave the store without waiting in line to pay. Since its launch in 2018, Just Walk Out technology is now being used at some Whole Foods, Starbucks and stadiums.
