Technology

Austin FC claims first with introduction of Just Walk Out tech

Featured image credit: Austin FC

Q2 Stadium has become the first soccer-specific stadium in the world to introduce Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology through a collaboration between the e-commerce giant and Major League Soccer (MLS) club Austin FC.

Just Walk Out has been enabled at the ATX Market, which is located near The Zebra Gate at Q2 Stadium’s northwest corner.

Stadium guests visiting the Just Walk Out technology-enabled store can use their credit card at the ATX Market entry gates to begin their streamlined shopping experience. Once inside, anything a guest selects from the shelf is automatically added to their virtual cart, and anything placed back on the shelf comes out of their virtual cart.

When fans have completed their shopping experience, they will be able to leave the store without waiting in line to check out. Upon exit, the credit card used at entry will be charged only for the items they left the store with. 

“Austin is one of the world’s most important technology hubs and Austin has some of the highest rates of technology adoption across a range of industries, and bringing innovations like Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology to Q2 Stadium is a great way to ensure the venue continues to be a representation of the community it calls home,” said Austin FC president, Andy Loughnane.

“We’re excited to see this technology in action making the shopping experience faster and easier for Q2 Stadium guests.”

Just Walk Out technology has been rolled out across a range of venues in the US over the past year.

The NHL’s Minnesota Wild debuted a new store powered by Just Walk Out at Xcel Energy Center in December, while Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center did likewise.

“As Austin FC looks to continuously provide fans with game-changing experiences, we’re proud to bring our checkout-free shopping to soccer fans in a tech-forward city like Austin,” said Dilip Kumar, vice-president of AWS Applications. “With Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, fans can grab food and snacks and get back to the match action faster than ever.”