DALLAS & SEATTLE—Star Concessions has opened Grab & Fly, a checkout-free shopping experience at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
The new store allows travelers to grab what they need and leave the store without having to wait in checkout lines. The store offers cold drinks, snacks, travel accessories, electronics, souvenirs, among other products.
To enter Grab & Fly, travelers insert their credit card at the entry gate. Once inside, anything a traveler takes off the shelf is automatically added to their virtual cart, and anything they put back on the shelf comes out of their virtual cart. After travelers have completed their shopping experience and left the store, their credit card will be charged for the items they took. Associates are available in store to assist customers, answer questions and re-stock shelves as needed.
“We are very excited to bring this checkout-free store to DFW, one of the busiest airports in the world, so travelers can get what they need and skip the checkout line,” said Gilbert Aranza, president of Star Concessions. “We selected Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology because of the fast and frictionless experience it enables, and we look forward to hearing how busy travelers like the experience.”
“Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, so we’re thrilled to collaborate with Star Concessions to enable a fast and frictionless shopping experience for their guests in Terminal D,” said Dilip Kumar, vice president, AWS Applications.
NACS Magazine explored autonomous checkout in stores like Circle K and Hudson News in the March 2022 issue.
At the NACS Show, don’t miss the education session “Self-Checkout Strategies” October 1 at noon PDT in Pavilion 4. There’s still time to register for the Show, which kicks off this Saturday in Las Vegas and runs through next Tuesday.
Second Amazon Prime Day
Meanwhile, Amazon announced will host another Prime Day event this year, reports the Associated Press. Prime Early Access Sale will be a two-day global shopping event exclusive to Prime members, beginning on October 11 at 12 a.m. PDT and runs through October 12 in 15 countries. This is the first time Amazon has held a second major shopping event twice in a year.
Amazon is dubbing it a holiday shopping event, and it will feature a first-ever top 100 list, which will feature a curated selection of deal from brands. New deals from the list will drop throughout the event.
“We are so excited to help Prime members kick off the holiday season with Amazon’s new Prime Early Access Sale—an exclusive opportunity for members to get deep discounts on top brands we know they are looking for this time of year,” said Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime. “And members can start enjoying exclusive Prime benefits and offers now, plus find gift ideas for the family with our holiday gift guides and this year’s Toys We Love list.”
Target announced it will host Target deal days earlier than ever, starting in October, and points out that there is no membership fee required to shop. The retailer is also extending the timeframe for its Holiday Price Match Guarantee from October 6 through Christmas Eve. Walmart is expanding its holiday return policy, with eligible purchases made on or after October 1 can be returned through January 31, 2023. The retailer is also offering curbside returns and return pickup from home for Walmart+ members.
“What Amazon wants to do is be part of that early crowd and get a bite of the cherry,” Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail, told AP. “And the best way to do that is, rather than having little deals here and there, is to have a big day that’s almost like a holiday kickoff.”