The game is about to start, and you are still waiting in line to pay for your beer. Or you spend most of intermission trying to get your snacks before the band comes back on stage. These all-too-common scenarios often lead fans to abandon concession purchases: Nearly half decide to return to their seats rather than miss the action.
Most concession sales happen during brief intermissions and breaks in play. Traditional point-of-sale systems create bottlenecks during these peak periods, which can translate to lost revenue for stadium and other venue operators. That’s why venues are turning to Just Walk Out technology by Amazon to increase throughput during critical sales windows. Customers can enter a concession stand, grab what they need, and simply walk out without waiting in line to check out.
We saw a dramatic increase in throughput in one of our tightest concourses, with less congestion and steadier flow at full capacity.
Proven results at scale: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
In addition to increasing throughput during peak periods, Just Walk Out technology helps optimize labor deployment and create better experiences that drive fan loyalty and repeat visits. A prime example is Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, which replaced traditional concessions with frictionless, autonomous stores in its 20-year-old stadium. Starting with one location in 2022, Lumen Field has expanded to 15 stores powered by Just Walk Out technology.
Lumen Field’s Just Walk Out technology enabled stores have seen:
- 38% increase in total sales per game
- 47% increase in transactions per game
- 50% increase in customer throughput
- 32% increase in labor efficiency
“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/general manager at 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.”
Speed drives revenue at mid-size venues
Major stadiums are not the only event spaces switching to Just Walk Out technology. Autonomous retail enables smaller venues to operate efficient concessions without large staffing requirements. At the Round Rock Sports Center in Round Rock, Texas, the concession stand was regularly overwhelmed, and customers were seeing waits of at least five to 10 minutes, said Stephanie Ponce, Round Rock Sports Center’s food and beverage manager.
The municipal sports venue implemented Just Walk Out technology to ease the pressure on staff and create a better experience for customers.
“Just Walk Out technology has been a game-changer for our operations. The reduction in wait times and increase in sales have exceeded our expectations, and our guests love the convenience,” Ponce said.
The numbers complete the story:
- 90%+ reduction in wait times
- ·20%+ increase in sales within six months
- 60%+ savings in labor costs
- 5x increase in product selection
Transforming the venue retail experience, from concessions to merchandise
Just Walk Out technology integrates with major payment providers and venue management systems. It can be designed into new builds or retrofitted into existing spaces.
Because of this flexibility and support, the technology is powering various store formats worldwide, from high-volume concession stands to bars and specialty merchandise locations. London’s Allianz Stadium Twickenham, for example, deployed Europe’s first Just Walk Out technology retrofit bar at their Guinness Patch location, delivering:
- 15% increase in sales vs pre-deployment
- 20% higher sales than neighboring traditional bars
- 6-second average transaction time from entry to exit
Autonomous retail augments another key revenue stream for event venues: merchandise. Ideal for stands selling team apparel, promotional items, and fan gear, Just Walk Out technology offers an approach using Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID). Just Walk Out RFID- lanes allow shoppers to browse normally, select items, and exit through a lane that reads tags on products and processes payment automatically.
With 200 stores already deployed across more than 50 sports and entertainment venues worldwide, autonomous retail technology is rapidly becoming a standard for modern stadium retail. Eliminating traditional checkout lines frees up staff to focus on restocking, food prep, and customer service, while faster service captures purchases that would otherwise be abandoned. And it’s a win for fans who can get back to the action faster. Said one Round Rock Sports Center customer: “I was in and out in a minute. It is definitely easy to grab what you want and go.”
