Amazon will open four new stores across the US, despite decreased footfall due to the Coronavirus.

Two new Amazon Go stores will be situated in Washington, while two grocery stores with conventional payment systems will open in California and Illinois.

Amazon Go stores use apps on customers' smartphones to track the items they pick up from the shelves and charge them for them automatically as they leave the store, without the need to use a cashier or checkout station.

In February, just before the pandemic took hold outside of China, Amazon launched its first Go Grocery store, spanning nearly five times the floorspace of its standard cashierless convenience stores.

This new format will use the same technology as its convenience store counterparts, but with room for shopping carts and around 5,000 goods, compared to the 500 to 700 stocked in the original format.

As for the more conventional stores, while information is currently minimal, it is understood they will include automated micro-fulfillment centres to streamline online-order picking.

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