Amazon can use Whole Foods to prove to merchants that its technologies work and are worth licensing. Retailers could be wary of working with Amazon since it has relatively little experience with brick-and-mortar technologies and may be competing with them through its online marketplace. But Whole Foods' hundreds of stores enable Amazon to show if its tech works and appeals to consumers in live retail environments, potentially convincing merchants to license Amazon's offerings.
If the pandemic stretches on, Amazon's offerings could attract retailer interest. The coronavirus pandemic has raised interest in payment experiences, and autonomous checkout should be particularly appealing since it removes the physical checkout process entirely. that autonomous checkout technology providers would miss out on this opportunity this year due to technological shortcomings — but if Amazon rolls out its tech in 2021, and the pandemic continues, merchants may be eager to adopt Amazon's offerings and provide consumers with a truly contactless checkout experience.