Amazon has redefined convenience in every category they have entered (starting with their original business of shipping books). The company has raised customers’ expectations for speedy execution and has raised the bar for all of its competitors at the same time. Whether Amazon Go works or not is almost beside the point, because the company can afford to fail — but Amazon appears committed to bringing its vaunted tech-driven efficiency to brick-and-mortar retail models that haven’t advanced much beyond the UPC code. (If Amazon Go works … watch out!)

For the incredibly tech-aware it looks perfect as they understand everything quickly. The devil is in the details with more SKUs and payment options for wide-scale adoption. Clearly once retail innovators experience it they will bring elements to more retailers quicker, but I doubt publicly using Amazon’s branded technology.

This is what the future of convenience/self-serve retailing looks like. Transaction friction caused by long checkout lines or malfunctioning self-checkout technology is the bane of shoppers – Amazon Go has the potential to truly solve this problem. However, like all technology, there are concerns. Beyond the list of good questions listed I would add, how accurate is the technology? No data capture system is perfect, so understanding accuracy is important. Also, what does it cost to deploy and maintain this technology? And finally, how secure is it — can the system be hacked or subverted? While many questions will be raised, I believe the benefits to consumers of a system like this will far outweigh risks.

Amazon Go’s technology is brilliant PR. Reading the headlines, it has masked the far more substantive story — that Amazon is doubling down on physical retail. Clearly, Amazon is envisioning more of a physical store future than expected between Amazon Go and the bookstores I nicknamed “Barnes & Amazon” after visiting the one they opened near me.

The technology is certainly interesting. Time will tell whether it’s as big a deal as they want us to believe. I simply recommend a watch and wait approach on the technology — but pay attention to Amazon’s need for physical retail.

Not to be too grinchy here, but am I the only one who notices that Amazon makes provocative announcements during the holiday seasons (that ultimately never happen)? Great free PR. One year it was drones on 60 Minutes, one year the company took a storefront on 34th Street in Manhattan and did nothing with it after we all discussed it for weeks.

So I’m calling “baloney!” We’ve given too much free press to too many.

Retail is a consignment business! Amazon Go IS the future (the very near future) of brick-and-mortar retail. Full stop! The technology exists today to implement this workflow. I have been working with a technology and business process startup that has developed an in-store merchandising solution that enables a brand (and retailer) to conduct a consignment business with 100 percent accuracy and transparency.

In order for the physical store to remain relevant, the store needs to consistently and regularly feature new products that are being introduced by many new, small companies. The only way to make this feasible is to present these options to shoppers through a consignment arrangement. It’s good for both the retailer (real estate) and the brand (access to an audience). This approach also addresses all of the costs and challenges with inventory and supply chain management. Most retailers expect the brands to police this themselves anyway.

This is simply another extension of Amazon’s customer-serving/delivery options. At the end of the day, Amazon is a fine-tuned distribution company, constantly experimenting with new delivery methods. Amazon Go is the Uber equivalent for food retail shopping. Obviously, all food retailing channels need to take notice, including the c-store channel whose hold on convenience shopping is being challenged.