Amazon analytics service will use shopper information to offer manufacturers product insights in bodily shops

Amazon has spent years building technology to reshape how shoppers use its physical retail stores. Now the company is introducing a new analytics service to help brands better understand how and why consumers choose certain products.

“Store Analytics” is a new way to provide brands with insights about the performance of their products, promotions, and ad campaigns in Amazon Go and Fresh stores in the U.S. that use Just Walk Out and Dash Cart technologies.

Amazon stressed in an announcement Wednesday that the data it is collecting is aggregated and anonymized, and does not contain personal shopper information, in order to protect privacy. Store Analytics will offer totals, averages, and percentages to brands, such as the percentage of how often their 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.”

Amazon said shoppers can opt out of having that data shared by following instructions on the Store Analytics website.

Just Walk Out tech arrived with the first Amazon Go convenience store in Seattle in January 2018. The “cashierless” innovation relies on overhead cameras and shelf sensors to track what customers select and leave with so Amazon can charge shoppers without making them wait in checkout lines. The technology has spread to some larger Amazon and Whole Foods grocery stores and is sold to third-party customers who utilize Just Walk Out in such places as arenas and airports.

Amazon said its goal with Store Analytics is to help brands improve the in-store experience through refined assortment, merchandising, and advertising. This includes “making the store layout easier for shoppers to find their favorite items and discover new ones; improving selection and availability of products; and delivering relevant promotions.”