OTG, a hospitality group, which operates over 350 restaurants and retail outlets in North American airports announced it will be adopting Amazon’s retail tech in its stores.
The first store — a CIBO Express Gourmet Market — is located in Newark Liberty’s Terminal. Shoppers will be able to enter the store using a credit card, grab their items and walk out, maximising speed and convenience. As simple as that.
Here’s how it works:
- Shoppers enter the tech-enabled store by swiping a credit card.
- Amazon’s Just Walk Out system uses a combination of technologies including cameras and sensors to identify which item is removed from the shelf by which customer. And adds the item in the customer’s ‘virtual cart’.
- If the shopper returns the item to the shelf, the item is removed from the customer’s ‘virtual cart’.
- When the shopper leaves (with the item), the credit card is automatically charged.
- This helps the store staff to focus on other activities like restocking, greeting, answer customer questions etc.
Frictionless Experience
The airport-based retailer, present in over 100 locations, offers an assortment of foods, health & beauty products, publications and electronics items among others.
Rick Blatstein, CEO of OTG, said the introduction of Just Walk Out promises to revolutionize the airport experience for travellers. This work with Amazon is another step in providing a frictionless experience, he added
“We’re incredibly proud to be integrating Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology into the OTG airport experience,”
Mr Rick Blatstein, CEO OTG
Terming Amazon Just Walk Out as “the world’s most advanced shopping technology“, Mr Blatstein said this would put its customers in full control of their time.
About Just Walk Out
Amazon recently launched its Just Walk Out website introducing its cashier-less technology to other retailers. It is “a technology that enables the shopper to simply enter a store, grab what they want, and just go”.
Unlike its app-enabled Amazon Go stores, shoppers have to swipe a credit card on entry.
The technology is a culmination of years of effort towards creating a frictionless buying experience using a combination of technologies. Although seen as a threat by its retail competitors, becoming a Retail Tech service provider is perhaps the latest avatar of Amazon.
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