Dive Brief:
- Continuing to enhance its retail tech, Amazon is adding radio-frequency identification to its Just Walk Out tech, the company announced Tuesday. The company partnered with Avery Dennison, an RFID sensor and digital identification tech provider, to add the capability.
- At locations using the technology, shoppers can take their desired items, each of which has a unique RFID tag, and pay as they pass through an exit gate using their debit or credit cards or by scanning their hand at an Amazon One terminal.
- The new RFID capability enables consumers to shop for apparel, fan gear, shoes and other soft goods. Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology is already available in more than 70 Amazon stores and 85 third-party retailers.
Dive Insight:
Amazon piloted its Just Walk Out tech with RFID at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, just in time for the last few ice hockey games of the season. After that test run, Amazon deployed its technology at Lumen Field, home of the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks.
“At Climate Pledge Arena, we’re continuously looking to innovate and improve the in-arena experience for our fans,” Todd Humphrey, senior vice president of digital innovation and fan experience for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, said in a statement. “Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology with RFID allows for a fast and easy way for our fans to grab their favorite Kraken gear and get back to the game — and our fans loved the experience.”
In addition to implementing the cashierless technology into more of its own stores, other organizations and businesses have adopted Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology in recent years, including Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, and travel retailer Hudson. Amazon also added the grab-and-go system to its Fresh grocery store concept and into a Whole Foods Market in Washington, D.C.
Though Amazon has integrated its Just Walk Out tech into more locations, the company has recently pulled back on brick-and-mortar expansion. In March 2022, Amazon confirmed to Retail Dive that it planned to close down its 4-Star, Books and Pop-Up stores, concentrating instead on Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Go and Amazon Style stores, as well as its Just Walk Out technology.
As Amazon adds RFID technology to its Just Walk Out system, more retailers have incorporated identification tools to track inventory and reduce shrink. Uniqlo, for example, has begun using RFID tools for its self-checkout services and supply chain management as it expands globally.
