A new and growing approach to retail checkout is allowing shoppers to pick up what they want and get back to life while helping retailers grow sales and improve operational efficiencies. Stores using Just Walk Out technology by Amazon are offering a frictionless retail experience powered by advanced AI, computer vision, and optional radio-frequency identification (RFID).
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.
Frictionless retail benefits for shoppers
Just Walk Out technology enables autonomous checkout, cutting down on wait times and, in many cases, expanding the times of day when they can shop. Contrast this to a traditional retail experience with either cashiers or self-checkout: The need to present each item for scanning adds time and contributes to long checkout lines, while limited operating hours restrict shopping times and increase congestion in stores.
The first third-party store using Just Walk Out technology launched in 2020. Since then, shoppers have been seeing the technology at retail locations in a variety of sectors, including airports, stadiums and arenas, colleges and universities, hospitals, and hospitality. Just Walk Out technology powers more than 375 stores and counting in five countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.
In high-traffic settings such as airports and stadiums where time is of the essence, Just Walk Out technology keeps travelers moving and keeps fans in the action. In healthcare, the technology enables convenient retail and foodservice options for busy healthcare professionals and visitors, improving workplace satisfaction and saving time. On school campuses and at hospitality properties such as hotels and resorts, the system enables around-the-clock access to food and essential items.
Improvements to the shopping and checkout process
At a store powered by Just Walk Out technology, customers authenticate a form of payment such as a credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet such as Apple Pay and Google Pay either as they enter the store. The system keeps track of products in a virtual cart as customers shop: Computer vision cameras positioned throughout the space keep track of product movement, while weight sensors on shelves detect when items are picked up or returned. When the customer exits the property, they are charged for the items they took.
In merchandise or pop-up retail settings with optional RFID, customers enter the store and browse normally, select tagged items, and exit through RFID lanes where they tap their payment method. The RFID readers automatically detect all tagged items and process payment.
Since opening our first checkout free store at Market Express, we’ve increased revenue by 56%.
How retailers gain advantages
Just Walk Out technology offers several benefits for retailers, including boosting throughput, extending hours, and freeing staff for higher‑value work.
“Since opening our first checkout free store at Market Express, we’ve increased revenue by 56%,” said Harry Ridley, head of technology at Built by Levy, which led the store upgrade at the venue ExCeL London. “On a busy day, or one of our biggest events, we’re able to triple the amount of customers through Market Express.”
At St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, FL, part of BayCare Health System, Just Walk Out technology enables 24/7 operations at the hospital’s cafe without adding overnight staffing. Changing to autonomous checkout led to 88% faster shopping, reducing time spent from 25 minutes to 3 minutes.
”Everyone is happy with the convenience and accessibility this technology has brought to our campus,” said Erica Salgado, BayCare East region director of food and nutrition services. “Our staff, physicians, and even hospital visitors can quickly grab refreshments and spend more time where it matters most—whether that’s on their breaks or with loved ones.”
Seamless retail can also improve store layouts, freeing up room for more merchandise. “We built a dry goods market where the cash registers used to be,” Salgado said. “We can see from the heat map that this has become a very popular space.”
Long-term value across stores
Just Walk Out technology provides comprehensive analytics dashboards that stores can use to improve customer experiences. The technology is built to grow and evolve with stores: Its self-learning AI adapts to store layouts and merchandise changes. Data on shopping trips, conversion rates, promotion performance, peak traffic patterns, inventory alerts, product placement insights, and more give retailers the information they need to optimize stores over time. Implementations are supported by the Amazon Just Walk Out Certified Partners Network, which provides specialized expertise to adapt and integrate solutions for each unique retail environment.
Seattle’s Lumen Field saw such strong results from Just Walk Out technology after installing it at one convenience store that it later rolled out the technology to eight additional stadium concession areas the next season, and has 15 frictionless stores today. The technology’s debut at Lumen’s District Market more than doubled sales and fan satisfaction survey scores hit an all-time high.
“We saw a dramatic increase in throughput in one of our tightest concourses, with less congestion and steadier flow at full capacity,” says 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.”
