Focus on guest experience as The O2 preps second Amazon Just Walk Out technology powered location

The O2 recently became the first indoor arena in England to use Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, with a new store allowing people to tap their card or mobile wallet, grab their chosen drinks and snacks, and quickly get back to their seats.

And it is now working on a second location, set to open later this year.

In a LinkedIn post, Paul Samuels, Executive Vice President, AEG Global Partnerships at AEG, said: “The O2's partnership with Just Walk Out highlights our continuous investment in guest experience and dedication to innovation, ensuring every moment at the venue counts for the fans.”

“Stay tuned as we plan to introduce more Just Walk Out units at the venue, with a second location scheduled to open later this year.”   

He added: “As we welcome Amazon Just Walk Out as a sponsor of the world's number one music venue, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions for an unforgettable experience. Exciting times ahead, so watch this space for more announcements.”

“Well done Matt Lowen (Partnerships Sales Director at AEG) and Adam Pearson (Commercial Director, The O2) and everyone else involved for all your work on this partnership.”

The O2 adds to a growing list of UK venues that have opened stores powered by Just Walk Out technology, including ExCel London and The SSE Arena.

Jon Jenkins, Vice President, Just Walk Out technology, says: “We have stores in corporate headquarters like Bentley Motors and Santander Bank, as well as our own Amazon headquarters in London.”

“We’re also in hospitals and universities, including stores at Telford Hospital and Sussex University, and we recently launched a store at Gridserve’s EV Station at Gatwick Airport, with more Gridserve stores coming later this year.”

“By the end of 2024, we expect to be in more than a dozen third-party stores in the UK, as well as in all 20 UK Amazon Fresh stores.”

He adds: “It’s an exciting time for Just Walk Out technology, as we recently announced our plans to more than double our global third-party store count in 2024.”

“As of today, you can find Just Walk Out technology at more than 150 third-party locations across the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, with many more to come.”

SMART CARTS

In April, we reported that Amazon was removing Just Walk Out from its Amazon Fresh stores.

This will be replaced by smart carts that allow customers to skip the checkout line but also see their spending in real-time.

Just Walk Out will continue to be offered in Amazon Go stores and, as mentioned earlier on in this article,  Amazon Fresh stores in the UK. Amazon will also continue to offer the technology to third-party retailers.

“We’ve invested a lot of time redesigning a number of our Amazon Fresh stores over the last year, offering a better overall shopping experience with more value, convenience, and selection, and so far we’ve seen positive results, with higher customer shopping satisfaction scores and increased purchasing," said spokesperson Jessica Martin.

“We’ve also heard from customers that while they enjoyed the benefit of skipping the checkout line with Just Walk Out, they also wanted the ability to easily find nearby products and deals, view their receipt as they shop, and know how much money they saved while shopping throughout the store.”