BELMONT PARK, N.Y.—Two convenience-oriented stores opened last night at UBS Arena—and they are the first in a New York sports and entertainment venue to feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, stadium foodservice partner Delaware North said in a press release.
Dubbed “On the Fly” and operated by Delaware North, the two Just Walk Out-enabled stores include an assortment of packaged beer, spiked seltzers, soda, bottled water, chips, candies and sundries.
Guests insert their credit card at the entry gates to shop. Once they’re inside, anything they take off the shelf is automatically added to their virtual cart, and anything they put back on the shelf comes out of their virtual cart.
“We are excited to work with UBS Arena to offer guests an easier and faster way to shop for what they need in the stadium without missing the event they’ve come to enjoy,” said Dilip Kumar, vice president of physical retail & technology at Amazon. “The two checkout-free On the Fly stores are a great addition to an already stand-out arena, and we’re excited to continue expanding our collaboration with Delaware North.”
UBS Arena at Belmont Park, located seven miles from JFK Airport, is the home of the New York Islanders. The $1.1 billion multi-purpose, state of the art arena opened in November 2021.
“Giving our fans additional options to make their food and beverage experience quick and easy at UBS Arena is paramount,” said Hank Abate, president of arena operations at UBS Arena. “We want our guests to be able to enjoy all the venue has to offer, so having Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology gives them a way to enjoy their choice of snack or drink without missing a minute of play or a moment of a show.”
Delaware North associates serve as greeters and provide in-store assistance as needed. Guests purchasing alcohol are required to show their ID to a store attendant for age verification. Various food, beverage and other retail items are stocked on easily accessible shelves and refrigerators.
“We are always looking to implement technology solutions that are both easy to use and provide significant benefits to our guests. To that end, we are excited to collaborate with Amazon to use their Just Walk Out technology in these On the Fly stores at UBS Arena,” said Jeff Wilkinson, chief information officer at Delaware North. “These stores will deliver a fast, frictionless experience, helping to eliminate lines and get fans back to the action faster.”
Read more about frictionless checkout systems in “Self-Checkout Strategies” in the March issue of NACS Magazine.