I wanted to hate San Francisco's new Amazon Go store. I loved it.

Something was happening on the corner of Battery and California streets in San Francisco's Financial District Tuesday afternoon. Smiling men and women in orange polos and quarter zips hovered on the sidewalk while workers on their lunch breaks fumbled with cell phones.

"Have you downloaded the app? You need the app," one orange shirt said to a man in a puffer jacket. The puffer jacket had the app, yes, but he couldn't remember the password for his Amazon account. He fiddled for a few seconds then, Bingo! The golden ticket required for entry to San Francisco's first Amazon Go store appeared. It was a QR code.

The rest of the experience went smoothly: He scanned the code at the entry gate and was free to grab the items he needed, ranging from Advil and Sunchips to bánh mì and chia seed pudding. Sensors and cameras track the items he took, and his Amazon account would be charged upon exit. The entire ordeal is self-serve and cashier-less.

"It's like a fancy 7-11," one man said to his companion inside.

He, too, wore a puffy jacket, but his was orange. I nearly mistook him for one of the many Amazon Go employees milling about the store, who asked me multiple times "how are you doing?" or "can I help you find something?" Their services were unnecessary. The shop is laid out like any convenience store, with a handful of aisles displaying grocery items curated to San Francisco tastes.

Exhibit A: The seltzer and kombucha selection was nearly twice as big as the soda section.

Inside the new Amazon Go store on Battery and California streets in San Francisco on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2018. Inside the new Amazon Go store on Battery and California streets in San Francisco on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2018. Photo: Michelle Robertson/SFGATE Photo: Michelle Robertson/SFGATE Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close I wanted to hate San Francisco's new Amazon Go store. I loved it. 1 / 19 Back to Gallery

The excess of employees in the crowded store almost made me wish that Amazon Go did have cashiers — just to give the orange people something to do. I'll chalk the annoyance up to an opening-day kink. I actually overheard a manager say into his headset: "Only say 'hi' when customers enter."

Because of its lack of cashiers, some reporters have attempted to "game" the self-serve system. There are dozens of YouTube videos on the subject, with titles like:

"CAN YOU STEAL FROM AMAZON GO?!"

"I PROVED STEALING FROM AMAZON GO IS INSANELY EASY"

"YOUTUBE STOLE THINGS FROM THE AMAZON GO?"

I was not interested in shoplifting tampons or kale chips from Amazon Go on my Tuesday visit. I really just wanted some snacks. Amazon, as it always does, delivered.

I bought two seltzer waters — one scented with lavender, and another with a hint of grapefruit — a pack of Extra chewing gum, an Amazon Go-branded dark chocolate bar and a tray of sushi. I delivered the spoils to my coworkers at SFGATE for taste-testing.

"OMG that chocolate bar is amazing," one messaged me on Slack.

"It's surprisingly good," another said of the spicy tuna sushi. "It's like good grocery store sushi."

The undertones of their commentary was that of surprise, and perhaps, resentment. Amazon seems to own everything these days; it's increasingly difficult to not root against the billion-dollar company.

Yet, if given the choice between a Rite-Aid and an Amazon Go, I'd choose the latter. The stores are clean and brightly lit. The employees are friendly and helpful (if not overbearing). And the products are high-quality, often locally sourced and affordable — priced somewhere between a Whole Foods and a Walgreens.

"It's kind of cool and kind of terrifying," a man in maroon pants said into his cell phone on opening day.

For me, shopping with Amazon is a guilty pleasure. Most everything I buy from the website could be purchased locally, and for just a few bucks more. Nonetheless, in spite of my distaste for billion-dollar companies, I am weak. I cannot say no to convenience and affordability.

I will shop at Amazon Go again, though I will probably not tell anyone and will definitely not buy an Amazon Go mug with the words "Just Walk Out Shopping" written on it. (See above.)

On my way back to the office on Tuesday, I peeked into a 7-Eleven on Market Street. It looked very sad inside, with messy shelves, droopy grab-and-go salads, and fluorescent lighting that made the six people standing in line look despondent, if not sickly.

There were no lines at Amazon Go.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

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