DALLAS—Two autonomous food and beverage markets will open in the American Airlines Center sports and entertainment arena in Dallas, according to a news release. In collaboration with its hospitality partner, Levy, and its innovation studio, DBK Studio, the center has opened Market To-Go on the arena’s terrace level, and a second location on the main concourse of the arena will open later this month.
Powered by autonomous retail technology from Standard AI and mobile payment technology from SpotOn, the markets are among the first food and beverage destinations at a North American sports venue that fully integrate AI and mobile payments for an autonomous experience.
“We are proud to be home to one of the first autonomous retail experiences at a major events venue. The fan experience at American Airlines Center is world class, and with Standard, we’re making it even better,” said Dave Brown, COO and general manager, American Airlines Center.
Both Market To-Go locations will offer freshly prepared and packaged snacks and refreshments, including select beer, wine and soft drinks.
Customers will enter the market and download a mobile checkout app. Once they have the app, they shop, tap to checkout via the app and leave the market without having to wait in line. The shops use AI-powered cameras and mobile payment technology to create a checkout-free system that registers what products customers select and enables them to pay without waiting or scanning.
“Nowhere is your time more valuable than at a sporting event or concert. It’s where we cheer on our heroes and experience culture together. Autonomous checkout makes it so you can get back to your seat faster and never have to choose between grabbing a snack and making a memory,” said Standard AI CEO and co-founder Jordan Fisher.
Standard AI worked with SpotOn, a software and payments provider, to leverage technologies for mobile payments and a fully-integrated retail management system. Additionally, Standard AI’s platform is designed to work without using facial recognition.
Convenience retailers are working to remove friction from the checkout experience. Circle K partnered with Standard AI, to install an AI-powered checkout-free system in one of its stores in Tempe, Arizona.
Last December, bp partnered with Grabango to integrate checkout-free technology into seven ampm stores in Northern California and three Amoco locations in Western Pennsylvania. MAPCO is launching checkout-free services in two Tennessee stores by fall 2022.
Choice convenience stores in Denver offer self-checkout, walkout technology and an app, which all sync and communicate with each other. In early 2022, Choice Market and St. Louis-based Health Hospitality Partners partnered to create the first autonomous markets in a health-care setting.
NACS offers a free webinar on self-checkout innovations at c-stores. Pre- and post-pay fuel transactions, loyalty, cash payments and age verification are also discussed.