Amazon is launching its first Amazon Go stores in Chicago and San Francisco, building on the debut of its checkout-free grocery store in Seattle at the start of this year.

No official opening dates have yet been given, but the e-commerce giant responded to job listings posted in the cities by admitting these were where the expansion would take place.

There has been no word yet as to when Amazon will bring the concept to the UK, but in May last year a trademark was approved by the UK Intellectual Property Office for Amazon Go’s slogan “No Lines. No Checkout. (No Seriously.)”.

The first Amazon Go store in Seattle - based in its global headquarters - uses cameras, sensors and machine-learning to track what shoppers take from the shelves, before automatically billling them as they exit. Customers must download an Amazon Go app and scan it as they pass through a gated turnstile to enter the 1800 square foot shop.

The cameras and sensors also remove items from customers’ virtual baskets if they return something to the shelf while they are shopping. Once customers exit through the gates, the credit card associated with their Amazon account is charged the total amount of their virtual cart.

While the store is checkout-free, employees still stock the shelves, help customers and work in the kitchen.

The move follows Amazon’s £10.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods in August last year, but there are currently no plans to put the cashier-less technology in the 470 global Whole Foods stores.

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