Amazon Expands Just Walk Out Technology to NFL Football Stadiums, Colleges

With the start of football season and a new school year, Amazon is bringing its Just Walk Out AI-powered shopping technology to about two dozen new locations at NFL stadiums and U.S. college campuses.

The checkout-free system, which launched in 2018, is being deployed at seven new stores at Commanders Field in Washington, D.C. and six additional locations at Lumen Field in Seattle — bringing the total at the home of the Seahawks to 15, the most of any venue in the world. Amazon is also opening a radio-frequency identification (RFID) store there that enables the checkout-free purchase of soft items, like clothing, hats and other fan gear. The Baltimore Ravens’ home of M&T Bank Stadium is getting its first location, too.

The Commanders, Seahawks and Ravens stores are in addition to existing locations at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Altogether, Amazon now has Just Walk Out locations in more than 80 sports arenas and stadiums in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Just Walk Out is also debuting at eight more U.S. colleges and universities this fall, including Emory University in Georgia, the University of Maine, Texas Christian University and the University of Virginia. Altogether, there are more than 30 locations at higher-learning institutions, including Sussex University in the U.K. and Canberra Institute of Technology in Australia.

Related:Amazon Upgrades AI in 'Just Walk Out' Tech for Seamless Shopping

The technology has been particularly popular at sporting venues, where fans don’t want to miss the game waiting in line, Amazon said. During its debut at Lumen Field in 2022, the first concession stand saw a 60% increase in customer “throughput,” or traffic, and sales per game doubled, Amazon said. 

“We saw a dramatic increase in throughput in one of our tightest concourses, with less congestion and steadier flow at full capacity,” said Zach Hensley, vice president of operations for the Seattle Seahawks and general manager of Lumen Field. “Just Walk Out is a seamless technology that lets fans get their food and drinks during a timeout as quickly as possible, so they can get back to their seats.”

This article first appeared in IoT World Today's sister publication AI Business.