Autonomous checkout is rapidly reshaping brick-and-mortar retail by eliminating one of consumers’ biggest pain points: waiting in line. After proving the concept in its own Amazon Go stores, Amazon is expanding the reach of its Just Walk Out technology by licensing it to third-party retailers. One of the first major deployments will be at Hudson stores in airports, where speed, convenience, and contactless shopping are especially valuable for travelers rushing to catch flights.
The rollout demonstrates that cashierless retail is evolving from an Amazon-exclusive innovation into a broader retail platform. As more merchants adopt autonomous checkout, retailers will have new opportunities to improve customer experiences while reducing friction at the point of sale.
Soon to be arriving at an airport near you. That would be a Hudson Nonstop store using Amazon Go technology at Dallas Love Field. Last year Amazon stated they would be licensing their autonomous checkout system to retailers. Amazon Go has proven successful within the Amazon ecosystem and now it’s ready to be installed at retail partners.
Airports are a likely venue due to the fast, grab and go, self-service shopping. This will be the first of many stores that are planned according to Hudson. Passengers running through airports and the absence of checkout lines will prove to be a winning combination for this autonomous checkout.
The following excerpt from a CStore Decisions article reports more on the topic:
Hudson announced the next phase in its digital transformation journey with an agreement to use Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology in select travel convenience stores. Hudson Nonstop — the first Hudson store to implement Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology— will open in the first quarter of 2021 at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), with additional rollouts planned for 2021. Hudson is a travel experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations across North America.
Hudson’s selection of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology highlights Hudson’s ability to adapt to new ways of retailing, while understanding and embracing the need to use technology to redefine travel retail following challenges posed by COVID-19.
“Today’s traveler is progressively more connected, mobile and time sensitive – and they have higher expectations for convenience, safety and speed during their shopping experiences,” said Brian Quinn, executive vice president and COO of Hudson. “The addition of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology perfectly complements our current digital footprint, providing travelers with yet another quick, secure, and contactless shopping experience that meets their needs.
Just Walk Out technology allows travelers to quickly enter the Hudson Nonstop store using their credit card, take the products they’re looking for and then walk out of the store, offering shoppers an innovative walk-through experience.
Hudson’s adoption of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology signals that autonomous checkout is entering its next phase of growth. Airports provide an ideal proving ground for cashierless retail, where travelers value speed and convenience above almost everything else. As more retailers embrace autonomous checkout, the technology is likely to expand well beyond travel environments, helping redefine how consumers shop while creating new opportunities for merchants to deliver faster, more efficient payment experiences.
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group