In a small corner of Lumen Field, Amazon is putting a new spin on its cashierless “Just Walk Out” shopping system.
At the home of the Seattle Seahawks, just down the street from Amazon’s headquarters, the new Seahawks Pro Shop Outlet store gives football fans a way to grab some gear without needing to wait in line.
We gave it a test run last week before the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Carolina Panthers.
The store uses RFID tags to track individual products, instead of overhead cameras typically found at other stores with Amazon’s cashierless technology.
This makes it possible to sell clothing, apparel, and other “soft goods” merchandise, going beyond food and beverage.
At a typical “Just Walk Out” store, customers scan their credit card or palm at the entrance, and they’re tracked by the cameras. This is how the store knows what you pick up, in addition to sensor tech on shelves or tables.
The new Seahawks shop does not have any scanners at the entrance. Instead, they are placed at the exit. That’s where the system detects any RFID tags, and charges the customers as they leave with their jerseys, shirts, jackets, and more.
It worked pretty much as advertised during our test run. It felt like normal shopping — browse through items, try stuff on, put stuff back, etc. — until the end, when you either plug a credit card in for a few seconds or scan your palm to pay.
The best part was not wasting time in line. There can be a small queue when multiple customers try to exit but I didn’t notice many logjams.
This advantage was made more apparent as I walked down the concourse and saw a hoard of people waiting to check out at the main pro shop store.
I used the extra time to grab pizza and a drink at Tutta Bella, one of four new concession stands at Lumen Field that uses Amazon’s cashierless tech. There are now nine such stores at Lumen Field, the most of any venue globally.
My only complaint at the outlet was the limited product selection. Clearly this is a test run of sorts as Amazon and the Seahawks figure out if it can work.
So far, it seems so. Amazon said it plans to roll out the RFID-enabled system to more locations this year. And the Seahawks are seeing improved transaction time and reduced friction at checkout compared to a traditional shopping experience, according to Doug Orwiler, managing director of consumer experience (retail) for the team.
Amazon first tested the RFID tech at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, toward the end of the Seattle Kraken season. It’s using RFID technology from an Ohio company called Avery Dennison.
“RFID technology has been around for decades and is typically used by stores to track and manage inventory,” Amazon wrote in a blog post. “Given its prevalence in retail supply chains, we decided to figure out a way RFID could benefit customers in a checkout-free environment.”
More than 70 Amazon-owned stores and more than 85 third-party retailers currently use “Just Walk Out” tech across the U.S., U.K., and Australia. The lineup includes grocery stores, airport travel retailers, music and sports venues, theme parks, and shops and cafes on college campuses. Amazon opened its first Go convenience store, featuring “Just Walk Out,” in 2018 in Seattle.
Stadiums across the country are quickly adopting various versions of cashierless tech from Amazon and others such as Standard AI, AiFi, and Zippin.
The Seahawks opened their first “Just Walk Out” shop last season and said transactions increased 85% while sales per game increased 112% compared to the traditional concession stand that previously was in the same location.
