Amazon is expanding its Just Walk Out frictionless checkout technology to 10 university campus convenience stores, the company announced on Tuesday. This expansion increases the number of campus convenience stores using Amazon’s technology to over 30 worldwide, across three countries, allowing customers to shop without waiting in line.
The process is simple: customers scan a credit card upon entry, select their items, and leave. Their account is automatically charged, and a receipt is emailed to them.
This expansion follows Amazon’s recent upgrades to its checkout technology. Last month, the company announced an enhancement to its artificial intelligence model, improving its accuracy in tracking which items customers select and return to shelves.
While broader adoption of frictionless checkout systems in the convenience store sector is still developing, these systems are gaining favor on university campuses. Automated stores can operate around the clock, making them ideally suited to serve students 24/7.
The first campus convenience store equipped with Just Walk Out technology opened at Marymount University in Virginia in March 2023. The latest universities to join this growing ecosystem in the United States are Emory University; University of Maine; Loyola University Maryland – Sellinger School of Business and Management; Endicott University; Lindenwood University; Ursinus College; Texas Christian University; and the University of Virginia. According to an Amazon spokesperson, the names of two additional schools using the technology will be released in the coming months.
Several of these stores also offer Amazon One, a palm-based biometric payment system, according to company information. While Amazon hasn’t released specific throughput data for its campus stores, its stadium-based installations have generated positive results.
The first Just Walk Out site at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks NFL team, saw a 60% increase in customer throughput during the 2022 season. In addition, Amazon reported a doubling of total transactions compared with the traditional concession stands that previously operated at the venue. Sports arenas have demonstrated significant growth potential for automated checkout technology, as customers seek ways to purchase food and beverages without missing any of the game action.
Lumen Field is set to introduce five new Just Walk Out concession stands and one radio frequency identification-based merchandise store for the upcoming NFL season. M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, will launch its first such store this season. Also, Commanders Field, located outside of Washington, D.C., is debuting seven new stores. Overall, Just Walk Out technology is now available in over 80 sports stadiums and more than 180 third-party locations across the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. Much of this growth has occurred recently.
“We will launch more small-format third-party Just Walk Out stores in 2024 than any year prior, more than doubling the number of third-party stores with the technology year-over-year,” said Jon Jenkins, vice president of Just Walk Out technology, in an email.
