Microsoft Seeks to Break into Retail Stores, And Kinect May be Involved

Remember Kinect? It seemed like Microsoft trying to infringe on Nintendo’s turf at the time. If you remember the distant epoch of 2010, the Wii was still riding on some serious popularity. Motion-controlled gaming was huge, and Microsoft wanted a slice of that pie. So, to compete, they released a camera and microphone combination called Kinect.  

The real wonder of the technology wasn’t the camera, though, it was the software powering it. Fast forward to 2018, when AI is a breath away from being a reality, and Microsoft is reviving the once-dead Kinect software in some innovative ways. And one is the elimination of checkout lines and cashiers. 

Amazon’s Influence 

The influence of bookseller-turned-juggernaut Amazon on the face of technology is hard to overstate. One example is Amazon’s cashier-free convenience store, Amazon Go. If you missed it, the first Amazon Go opened in Seattle last year and has a truly unique business model.  

There are no cashiers, and there is no checkout line. Instead, you scan in past a turnstile with your Amazon Go app, which has your credit card info on file. Then you grab the stuff you want and technology in the store tracks what you have. When you leave, the app bills you for whatever stuff you have in your bag. Simple, right? Well, it’s powered by a pretty complicated suite of technology.  

So complicated, in fact, that many traditional retailers are made quite nervous by it. How could they afford to implement such a complex change in their stores to stay competitive? Amazon is certainly saving costs by not having cashiers, and customers love the convenience. Could this spell doom for traditional retailers? 

Not if Microsoft Has Anything to Say About It 

Enter Kinect’s new lease on life. Microsoft is currently working to help implement technology like Amazon’s in traditional retail store like Walmart and Target. While details are currently slim, the move makes sense. Retailers scared of becoming irrelevant can pay for Microsoft’s Kinect AI and stay competitive. Microsoft, in turn, keeps up with Amazon without having to invest in any inventory or construction.  

At the moment, it’s not set in stone. There are currently no announcements as far as roll-out or implementation of this technology. It’s still in the planning phase. However, if it materializes, it could spell the end of a lot of retail jobs. Hopefully the retailers affected would find other positions for the employees losing jobs.