When the championship basketball game or hottest concert is at your venue, merchandise sales can skyrocket as fans snap up jerseys, hats and tour tees to capture the moment. But there’s a catch: Fans don’t want to miss the action to shop. Long lines at the merch stand can be a deterrent for customers and potential sales. A study featured in Retail Sensing found that 86% of consumers will avoid a store if the line is too long; additional data, compiled by Capital One Shopping Research, cites the importance of convenience and the importance of comparing product features as key to their experience.

Just Walk Out technology by Amazon’s radio frequency identification (RFID) lanes are an innovative way to remove friction at checkout, encouraging guests to shop more often and allowing venues to realize additional sales. Shoppers make their selections, tap their card and then exit the gates with their RFID-tagged items.

“For any venue battling lines, whether on a regular basis or during peak surges, Just Walk Out technology RFID lanes make it easy to sell more merchandise while giving guests a seamless shopping experience,” says David Jutrsa, senior technical product manager for Just Walk Out technology.

Why lines are the real opponent

Merchandise is one of a venue’s most lucrative opportunities, and now it can also deliver the high-tech, innovative experiences guests expect at events. “They want a convenient way to shop without missing the action, but traditional retail solutions have previously been all about the wait,” says Guy Vachtel, senior technical business development manager for Just Walk Out technology. “At best, the line extends to the registers, but at worst, it’s so long it prevents them from even browsing the store.” That means guests are apt to walk away rather than risk missing a key play or their favorite song.

Just Walk Out technology RFID lanes are changing the game. “They’re enabling an innovative and magical experience in event-based retail to help fans get back to the action,” Vachtel says. “A guest can run out during a basketball timeout, grab a beverage or a jersey of their favorite player and settle back into their seat before play resumes.”

Keeping fans engaged and buying

RFID is even more streamlined than traditional self-checkout, where shoppers follow rigid steps like placing items precisely on a scanner or bagging platform. “We’re letting shoppers enjoy the event rather than forcing a specific behavior,” says Vachtel. “Say they’ve tried on a hat and adjusted it ‘just so’ in the mirror. They can leave the store without ever taking it off.”

Associates no longer assigned to registers can redirect their efforts to restock merchandise or interact with shoppers, helping them find the right size or sharing the camaraderie of bonding over an exciting performance. 

“Rather than waiting in line and pointing to a T-shirt, shoppers can try on various styles,” says Jutrsa. The result is happier fans and more profit, with venues reporting an uptick in average basket size simply because fans don’t need to wait.

Inventory intelligence drives revenue

For operators, the technology also unlocks powerful analytics that help maximize sales. While traditional barcode systems only report broad category data, RFID tags act like unique digital fingerprints for each item, explains Jutrsa. 

This data, captured by the RFID tag, enables operators to precisely identify which item was purchased and how quickly specific sizes or colors are selling, allowing them to make better buying and merchandising decisions.

Instead of tedious manual counts, staff can complete inventory in minutes with handheld scanners. This higher accuracy reduces shrink and confirms that returns are only made on verified sales. Most importantly, it ensures the hottest items—like a star player’s jersey—stay on the shelf to prevent lost revenue. 

Transforming any space into sales

Just Walk Out technology RFID lanes are a modular solution that can be installed in less than a day. As such, this plug-and-play setup can be effortlessly relocated to optimize flow. Innovative venues can place pop-up stands near entrances to capture impulse sales and shift them to exits to engage with fans as they leave. 

Deployment is fast and straightforward, without requiring operators to reconfigure their stores. Vachtel is particularly proud of how the solution has evolved to meet customer needs. “By moving from our initial fixed locations to mobile options, customers can increase the value of their investment with new capabilities and can be onboarded in no time because they don’t have to make any changes to their store.”

Redefining the merch moment

Just Walk Out technology RFID lanes are transformational for venues: Operators see higher traffic, larger basket sizes, better inventory accuracy and reduced shrink, while shoppers can browse and purchase merchandise freely, without the hassle of lengthy waits or bottlenecks at checkout.

“Fans don’t have to consider if they want to miss 10 or 20 minutes of the action standing in line,” says Vachtel. “They can enjoy the event and buy what they want without missing the show. That makes for more satisfied customers—and revenue.”  

Learn more about Just Walk Out technology RFID lanes, and how they can benefit your business.