Checkout-free concession stands that combine new technology with existing counter space are gaining in popularity, with technology providers AiFi and Zippin both announcing multiple-store openings that use the ‘walk-up’ or ‘belly-up’ formats.
The Burlingame, Calif.-based AiFi has the most new stores announced recently, with eight new stands at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., slated to be ready by the start of the 2025 NFL season. AiFi also took over the 10 checkout-free stores at Allegiant Stadium that previously used Zippin technology, as part of a switch under new stadium concessionaire Oak View Group.
If you’re not familiar with checkout-free stores, here’s a quick primer. Customers are allowed to enter gated stores by scanning a credit card or some other pre-authorized payment method (including biometric methods using faces or palms). After entering they simply take the items they want and then exit. Payment takes place online after they leave the store. (For more details on how checkout-free works, please see our previous MARKET REPORT on checkout-free concession stands).
Zippin said that its previously announced new stores at NRG Stadium in Houston will be open for the NFL season. According to the San Francisco-based Zippin, four of the latest stands to open at NRG Stadium are of the “Walk-up” format, which Zippin pioneered back in 2023 at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The walk-up, or belly-up format for checkout-free stores was quickly copied by the other leading providers of stadium checkout-free technology, including AiFi and Amazon. The format makes a lot of sense since it is generally the least expensive option for installing a checkout-free stand.
What typically happens for this format is that the venue keeps an existing belly-up stand and puts coolers, hot food shelves and maybe snack items onto the existing counter. The checkout-free technology of entry and exit gates is then deployed outside the stand, sometimes with just barrier tape keeping the customers who have paid inside the stand zone. From the looks of the photos sent to us by the providers, the companies are all getting very good at deploying the necessary overhead cameras (which track what items customers select), with some trim and apparently easy-to-install versions (like the black racks atop the Miami AiFi stands).
Though it did not supply an exact count, AiFi said that “most” of the eight new stands at Hard Rock Stadium were the belly-up format. The stands that AiFi took over at Allegiant are the same drink-lane stores Zippin previously powered. Those stores sold over 100,000 items during the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2023 regular season schedule, according to Zippin. The same stands with the new AiFi technology apparently are still popular, with AiFi claiming 18,000 items were purchased at the stores during the Wrestlemania event there in May.
We have not heard recently from Amazon as to whether or not it has any new Just Walk Out stores in stadiums, but stay tuned. Stadium Tech Report will also endeavor to refresh our checkout-free stadium count tally for all the top providers, so please contact us if your venue has a new checkout-free stand to announce.
