The Seattle Seahawks Pro Shop was missing something when patrons entered the store in Lumen Field recently.
That missing thing was the cashiers.
The Seahawks partnered with cross-town tech giant Amazon to test a new Just Walk Out technology.
Amazon made waves several years ago when it launched a series of brick-and-mortar convenience stores that allowed buyers to scan themselves into the store with an Amazon account and browse shelves, pick what they wanted, and simply walk out the door.
The stores contain a mesh of cameras that track the buyers as they peruse, keeping track of what they kept, and disregarding what they returned.
The Seahawks Pro Store employs similar technology but instead of checking in on entry, the store tracks your progress using camera and RFID tags on shirts and jerseys.
When it comes time to check out, you simply enter your credit card and walk out without having to scan any items.
“Fan feedback on our spaces powered by Just Walk Out and Amazon One has been overwhelmingly positive, so we are excited to build on that success,” said Zach Hensley, Seahawks Vice President of Operations and General Manager, Lumen Field.
This approach is becoming commonplace for sports concessions where finding and keeping staff has been an ongoing challenge for event staff.
In 2022, 44 stadiums offered checkout-free concessions.
By 2023, this number had increased to 141 across the NFL, NBA/NHL, MLB, and MLS with an increase in sales of 112% over traditional human-operated checkouts
While the Seahawks Pro Shop represented a step up from concessions to larger ticket items like jerseys, it is only a matter of time until all stadiums follow suit.
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