Amazon opened its first checkout-free convenience store to the public on Monday, in a move which could revolutionise shopping convention.

The 1,800sq ft Amazon Go store in Seattle, USA, has been tested by staff for the past year.

It features a small grocery offer plus its chef-designed Amazon Meal Kits and a range of ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options.

To shop the store, shoppers simply need to have an Amazon account and the Amazon Go app installed on their smartphones.

Shoppers use the app to enter and then add items to their bags as they go along.

Sensors on the shelves work with ceiling-mounted cameras to identify customers as they move around the store, automatically adding items their bills as they pick them up and deleting any that they put back.

“Our Just Walk Out Technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. When you’re done shopping, you can just leave the store. Shortly after, we’ll send you a receipt and charge your Amazon account,” Amazon said.

“We created the world’s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. Simply use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and go! No lines, no checkout.”

There were some initial glitches with the system, an Amazon insider told the BBC, with cameras incorrectly identifying shoppers of similar body types - and children moving items to the wrong places on shelves.

The store is staffed by a small team who help to prepare its food to go offer, stack shelves and assist customers with any queries.