Amazon has opened a 10,000-square-foot cashierless grocery store in Seattle, signaling that it’s going big on its “just walk out shopping” model. Customers at Amazon Go Grocery simply check in with their smartphone, take what they want off the shelves, and walk out the door. Amazon’s store is more than just a new way to shop, however. It is part of the company’s vision for the future — a future in which more and more of the spaces in our lives are transformed into one giant Amazon marketplace.

Granted, there is much that is appealing in Amazon’s cashier-less model. Those of us who lack the zen-like calm of Kurt Vonnegut — who professed to enjoy standing in line for stamps at the post office — might relish the opportunity to skip the early evening checkout rush. The ability to drop milk and bread into your basket and just walk out removes the key bottleneck in the grocery store shopping experience.

Removing consumption bottlenecks appears to be a core aim of Amazon’s business empire. There are few faster ways to order products online than Amazon’s smartphone app. Need a new umbrella or a pack of batteries? Just tap the app, and, like magic, your purchase will appear on your doorstep in a day or so. Or, better yet, just ask Alexa. The cloud-based voice service is always listening, ready to help.