Features

Seattle Seahawks claims Amazon contactless services first

Seattle Seahawks’ Lumen Field is to open a new store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology for checkout-free shopping and Amazon One for entry and payment with palm recognition in time for the new National Football League (NFL) season.

The team said its District Market will make Lumen Field the first NFL stadium to implement both technologies in a single store.

Amazon’s technologies are designed to offer fans a frictionless shopping experience as they purchase food and drinks to get them back to the game faster by eliminating checkout lines.

“We are continually looking at new ways to innovate and modernize our fan experience, and we know fans will love the fast, convenient experience the Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One-enabled store will deliver,” said Zach Hensley, Seahawks vice-president of operations and general manager, Lumen Field.

“We are proud to bring this technology to our fans so they can spend more time enjoying the game.”

The stadium’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One-enabled store will be located on the upper concourse in an upgraded area of section 323. District Market will offer a selection of assorted beer, wine, seltzers, and non-alcoholic beverages, along with gameday snacks and cuisine from the stadium’s community neighbours in Seattle’s International District. Fans purchasing alcohol will be required to show their ID to a store attendant for age verification.

The store has been opened in collaboration with Lumen Field’s hospitality partner, Levy, and DBK Studio, Levy’s innovation studio.

“We’re proud to be part of Lumen Field’s commitment to continuously innovating the fan experience and are excited for the NFL season to kick-off with the opening of District Market so fans can see first-hand the convenience of Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One,” said Dilip Kumar, vice-president for AWS Applications.

“Our goal is to help fans get back to their seats quickly without missing a moment of the action, so we’re excited to see how NFL fans enjoy the new store.”

When a fan visits District Market, they can opt to insert their credit card at the entry gates or hover their palm over an Amazon One device to enter. Once inside, shoppers can take what they want and then just leave after they are done shopping. As they shop, Just Walk Out technology determines what they take from or return to the shelves, and the credit card they inserted or linked to their Amazon One ID will be charged for items they took after they leave the store.

Fans can enrol in Amazon One, which is Amazon’s palm recognition and payment service, at the enrolment kiosks located outside the store. They can also enrol where Amazon One already exists, like at select Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market stores.

Just Walk Out technology is already available at Seattle Kraken’s Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Mariners’ T-Mobile Park.