HOLLYWOOD, Fla.—The Coca-Cola Company and Dave & Buster’s have partnered to create a checkout-free market inside a full-service restaurant. The Game & Go market is within a Dave & Buster’s restaurant and is entirely frictionless.
“Innovation is critical in the entertainment business, and our new Game & Go MicroMarket is truly state of the art,” said Brandon Coleman III, senior vice president and CMO of Dave & Buster’s. “Our F&B team partnered closely with The Coca-Cola Company to bring this exciting new technology to life, and I think the guest is really going to enjoy the new food and drinks, as well as frictionless payment.”
The market uses Zippin-powered checkout-free technology. Dave & Buster’s is the first to conceptualize this within the full-service restaurant landscape. The Central Group created and developed the checkout-free shopping experience.
“Consumers crave the freedom to explore and enjoy more drink options than ever before,” said Christina Ruggiero, president, North America Operations – Central Zone, The Coca-Cola Company. “Game & Go at Dave & Buster’s is an innovative collaboration that pairs refreshing Coca-Cola beverages with mouthwatering meals—and summer fun!”
C-Stores Remove Friction
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 Market convenience stores in Denver offer self-checkout, walkout technology and an app, which all sync and communicate with each other. In early 2022, Choice c-stores 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.
Read more about frictionless checkout systems in “Self-Checkout Strategies” in the March issue of NACS Magazine.