Starting this fall, a greater number of NFL fans and college students can easily pick up items and leave thanks to new Amazon Just Walk Out stores.

Fourteen new Just Walk Out stores, powered by artificial intelligence, will be launched this week coinciding with the kickoff of NFL season. Additionally, more college campuses are adopting the Just Walk Out technology, increasing the count of such university stores globally to over 30.

What is Just Walk Out?

The Just Walk Out concept was first introduced in 2018 with Amazon’s inaugural Go store in Seattle. This technology employs AI, numerous cameras, and various sensors, allowing shoppers to select their items and exit without standing in line to pay at a register.

Entry processes can differ among stores, but generally, customers can walk in and either slide or tap a credit card at the entrance. For stores featuring Amazon One, shoppers can register their palms to link to their payment methods. Those using a mobile app for entry must scan a QR code to gain access.

After entering, shoppers can pick out products and simply leave the store, with their chosen items being automatically billed to their saved payment method.

Some locations, like the new Seattle Seahawks merchandise outlet at Lumen Field, are equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology—each product carries a tagged sensor that records purchases instead of relying entirely on cameras. Customers can pay by credit card upon exiting.

According to Jon Jenkins, vice president of Just Walk Out at Amazon Web Services, the technology has seen upgrades this year. In a conversation with YSL News, Jenkins highlighted the new multi-modal foundation model as the latest breakthrough in checkout-free shopping.

At present, Just Walk Out technology is operational in over 180 third-party venues, including airports, stadiums, universities, and hospitals across the U.S., UK, Australia, and Canada.

Amazon has announced plans to open more Just Walk Out stores in 2024 than in any previous year, aiming to more than double the current count. While specific targets haven’t been disclosed, it’s clear they plan significant expansion.

Earlier this year, Amazon revealed it would be replacing Just Walk Out technology in its Amazon Fresh Grocery stores with Amazon Dash smart carts, which display real-time prices for shoppers.

Which NFL Stadiums Will Feature the New Just Walk Out Stores?

This fall, a record number of new Just Walk Out stores are launching across NFL stadiums. Locations include six new stores at Lumen Field in Seattle, seven at Commanders Field near Washington, D.C., and the inaugural store at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Just Walk Out stores first opened at Lumen Field in 2022 and now boast a total of 15 locations—this is the highest concentration of such stores in any venue globally, according to Amazon representatives.

Jenkins noted that longer operational periods generally lead to better performance for Just Walk Out stores.

The first store at Lumen Field experienced a 60% increase in customer traffic and doubled the number of transactions per game in 2022 compared to the traditional concession stands in the same area. By the end of the 2023 season, the transactions per game at that store climbed by 85%, and total sales surged by 112%, he reported.

“That reflects well on the concept,” Jenkins stated. “The longer these stores operate, the more effectively they perform as more users become accustomed to how to navigate them.”

At Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the Just Walk Out concessions recorded the highest sales and number of transactions during halftime in the 2023 season, with a 50% growth over the previous year. Additionally, fans spent under a minute in and out of the store, according to Amazon.

The seven new Just Walk Out locations at Commanders Field represent the most stores launched simultaneously at an NFL stadium, Amazon stated. The technology is also present at several other NFL venues, including Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. With these latest additions, Just Walk Out technology is now found in over 80 sports venues, encompassing basketball, hockey, and soccer arenas both in the United States, the UK, and Australia, as well as Canada.

Additional stadiums and arenas featuring Just Walk Out shops include the United Center and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Ohio Stadium at Ohio State University, along with Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Which colleges and universities feature Just Walk Out stores?

This fall, ten new Just Walk Out-enabled stores will launch on college and university campuses, including Emory University, the University of Maine, and the University of Virginia. By year’s end, the total count of these stores on campuses worldwide will exceed 30.

Other new locations include Loyola University Maryland – Sellinger School of Business and Management, Endicott University in Massachusetts, Lindenwood University in Missouri, Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, and Texas Christian University. Two additional locations are still to be revealed.

Currently operating stores can be found at Sussex University in the U.K., the University of Miami, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Penn State.

Students appreciate the convenience of being able to grab snacks or items any time of the day or night and have quickly adapted to the process, according to Jenkins.

“It’s impressive how fast students have taken to this technology, we shouldn’t have been surprised, but their eager adoption is truly exciting,” he mentioned.

To view a complete list of locations that offer Just Walk Out technology, including over 20 airports, visit justwalkout.com/location.