AiFi cements position as leading provider of autonomous store solutions in sports stadium vertical

Spatial intelligence and autonomous solutions specialist, AiFi, has announced its growth in the stadium sector, serving customers with frictionless checkout in 20 sports stadiums.

One month into the 2024/2025 NFL season, ticket sales are already 38% higher than last season’s start, according to data from StubHub’s 2024 NFL Season Preview. With larger crowds packing into stadiums, the common pain point of long wait times for concessions and merchandise will only exacerbate, taking more game watching time away from fans.

AiFi’s frictionless checkout solution aims to reduce long lines and get fans quickly back in their seats. With checkout-free options in seven NFL stadiums and 13 total stores within these stadiums, the shopping experience for a quick bite or drink is smoother and faster. 

The company is also growing and evolving into new sectors. It is deploying new applications of its camera led spatial intelligence platform, which tracks people and objects through space to unlock data and insights for businesses and operations including autonomous checkout, safety and compliance, consumer behaviour analysis, dwell time reports, and out of stock notifications.

To help lead this charge, AiFi recently hired Alan Flohr to serve as the company’s Spatial Intelligence Sales Lead. Flohr most recently served as SVP of Revenue & Growth at Zippin, another autonomous retail provider, and previously was the Chief Revenue Officer at Pathr.ai, which offers AI powered spatial intelligence capabilities as well.

“We’re incredibly proud of AiFi’s growth with our stadium partners, and are eager to continue transforming both the fan experience and critical business operations within major retail and event spaces, while also setting a new standard for what spatial intelligence technology is capable of,” says Steve Carlin, CEO at AiFi.

“We’ve spent the last eight years developing a platform capable of obtaining a complete three-dimensional understanding of any space and the objects and humans within it. Starting our business in the retail sector required us to achieve over 99% accuracy with our technology, and doing so has primed AiFi to apply its spatial technology platform in a variety of crucial sectors.” 

AiFi’s latest NFL stadium collaboration is with Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans. Aside from stadiums that serve NFL teams, it operates in ten other stadiums, one of its major and recent collaborations being with the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

At the newly built venue, AiFi’s technology is powering stores of different formats including bars, markets, and merchandise. Its NBA involvement also includes a presence at the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors (in partnership with Verizon). AiFi’s reach extends beyond America, with stores at professional football clubs at American Express Stadium in the United Kingdom and Parken Stadium in Denmark.

"We are always looking for ways to enhance the fan experience at Nissan Stadium and offering a seamless process at concession stands is a top priority. Shorter lines mean more time at your seat enjoying the game,” says Adam Nuse, Titans Senior Vice President.

“AiFi provides a best-in-class AI platform to help simplify and streamline the checkout process. We look forward to working alongside their team as we provide fans with this innovative technology throughout the 2024 NFL season.”

With AiFi’s technology and partnership with Verizon's 5G network, their solutions have proven successful with numerous partners, including the Prudential Center in Newark, Ford Field in Detroit, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and Acrisure Arena in Palms Springs. The latest deployments include Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago and Nissan Stadium in Nashville. 

To date, AiFi has reached more than nine million customers and processed 7.1 million orders with over 30 million products sold.

The company says that it has consistently doubled products sold year over year since 2022 and plans to apply its spatial intelligence platform to new industries within the next year including pharmacies, retail manufacturing, fuel stations, hotels and hospitality, casinos and entertainment, quick serve restaurants, and athletic facilities. 

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Checkout-free stores are a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.