Retail technology innovation of the week: Amazon Just Walk Out tech hits Northern Ireland
Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a new series brought to you by RTIH and sponsored by 3D Cloud by Marxent, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.
Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, in the run up to the publication of the 2024 report in March.
So far, we’ve flagged up sterling work being done by Ocado Retail, Decathlon, Lacoste, Downtown Spirits, TalkShopLive, Huck’s, Rovertown, Wing, Nobody’s Child, IKI, Pixevia, Walmart, A.L.C., Archive, Therabody, Outform, Kingfisher, PMC, Żabka Polska, Boots UK, Ocula Technologies, Grace O'Malley Irish Whiskey, Metacask, Ikea, Carrefour Belgium, HMV, Worldpay from FIS, and FreedomPay, Matalan, and McDonald’s.
And this week we’re focusing on The SSE Arena, Belfast, which has announced a collaboration with Amazon to implement the US online giant’s Just Walk Out technology at the venue, making it the first indoor arena in Europe to offer checkout-free shopping.
This will be located on the first floor and named PAY & AWAY.
Guests will enter by using their chosen contactless payment method at the entry gate, with the technology then detecting what customers take from or return to the shelves and creating a virtual shopping session.
When they complete their shopping experience, they can leave without waiting in line, and their chosen payment method will be charged for the items taken.
Dermot McGinn, Group Head of Food and Beverage at The Odyssey Trust, says: “Providing the best experience every time sits at the core of everything we do at The SSE Arena, Belfast and we’re continually looking at ways to enhance our offering.”
“We’re incredibly proud to be working alongside Amazon to bring Just Walk Out technology to our venue, and becoming the first arena in Europe to introduce this checkout-free concept is a radical next step in optimising the customer journey.”
“Through a blend of convenience and speed, the introduction of this innovative new technology will ensure that our visitors can get back to the heart of the action as soon as possible, both during events and at Belfast Giants home games.”
The introduction of PAY & AWAY will mark the first Just Walk Out technology deployment on the island of Ireland.
In addition to this, The Stena Line Belfast Giants – who play all home games at The SSE Arena, Belfast – are set to become the only professional ice hockey team outside of North America to offer the tech, following in the footsteps of several National Hockey League (NHL) sides, including the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Los Angeles Kings.
Just Walk Out has also been rolled out across such venues as TD Garden in Boston, Lumen Field in Seattle, and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
It is made possible by artificial intelligence like computer vision and deep learning techniques, including generative AI, to help accurately determine who took what in any retail environment.
Amazon built synthetic datasets to mimic millions of realistic shopping scenarios – including variations in store format, lighting conditions, and even crowds of customers – to ensure accuracy in any environment.
Jon Jenkins, Vice President at Just Walk Out technology, Amazon, says: “We’re thrilled to bring Just Walk Out technology to the island of Ireland and to be working with the team at The SSE Arena, Belfast.”
“We’re seeing tremendous interest in Just Walk Out technology from sports facilities across the globe for its ability to increase sales and throughput and delight customers. We look forward to hearing how concertgoers and sports fans alike enjoy the convenience of the new store.”
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