One of London’s most iconic music and events venues is welcoming the future of retail with the opening of a new store featuring Amazon Just Walk Out technology.
The store, located in the O2 Arena, offers customers the opportunity to pick up their products and walk straight out, simply using their debit card to enter, without having to wait in line.
The store was recently shown off to Ny Breaking at a media event, and offers a range of snacks, drinks and even alcoholic beverages, which can be quickly picked up and added to a virtual shopping basket. Users pay as they leave the store, so they don’t miss out on any of the show.
Just walk away
The Just Walk Out technology was first deployed in Amazon Fresh stores and is now being expanded to third-party stores worldwide. Initially, customers had to have a linked Amazon account to gain access, but now any debit card can be scanned to enter.
Amazon says it has worked with Adyen and Levy to ensure its payment technology is reliable and secure. Inventory is monitored by an extensive network of sensors and cameras that can detect exactly which goods have been removed from shelves. AI-generated images and video clips of the store are also generated and analyzed to track shoppers in-store and can also distinguish between individuals and groups of shoppers.
There are still people present, such as staff checking the age of alcoholic beverages and removing bottle caps, but technology is definitely the most important factor in this store.
“This technology is very portable… you see multiple applications for the technology, it’s growing and gaining momentum,” said Steve Gurney, global head of retail at AWS.
“It’s just the beginning, but it’s growing very quickly.”
“A few years ago we saw the Just Walk Out technology in the US and knew straight away we wanted to bring it to the UK, and specifically to the O2,” Adam Pearson, the O2’s commercial director, told us.
“It’s really there to cut through the lines and take away the biggest pain point of coming to an arena… and standing in line. This takes away the need for that and allows us to serve people remarkably quickly compared to a traditional transaction.”
Pearson estimates the store could serve “thousands” of customers on any given show night, with the O2 having a capacity of around 16,000 for 200-220 shows a year.
Following the initial opening, the O2 now hopes to open a second, larger self-service outlet in October 2024, alongside the arena’s dozens of staffed bars. Pearson says the plan is to expand to “multiple” outlets across the arena in the future.