Hudson taking flight with Amazon cashierless store platform
A second travel retailer is bringing the Amazon “Just Walk Out” technology solution to airport stores.
Hudson, a leading travel retailer with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs and tourist destinations across North America, has entered into an agreement to use Amazon’s Just Walk Out platform in select travel convenience stores. The first location to implement the technology —a new concept called Hudson Nonstop — will open in the first quarter of this year, at Dallas Love Field Airport. Additional roll-outs planned at North American stores later in the year.
Hudson is following in the footsteps of airport convenience store chain Cibo Express Gourmet Markets, which began rolling out the Amazon technology at select stores in March 2020.
The Just Walk Out technology will allow travelers to quickly enter the Hudson Nonstop store using their credit card, take the products they’re looking for, and then walk out of the store. After they leave the store, shoppers are charged for the items they selected and walked out of the store with. The platform, currently in use at Amazon Go convenience and grocery stores, combines computer vision, sensor fusion, and machine-learning algorithms. Amazon began selling the solution to other retailers in March 2020.
With the addition of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, Hudson anticipates its associates will be able to spend more time focused on enhancing the shopping experience for customers, while the elimination of checkout line friction will appeal to shoppers. In addition, the contactless shopping experience can help reduce concerns related to COVID-19.
“Today’s traveler is progressively more connected, mobile, and time-sensitive – and they have higher expectations for convenience, safety, and speed during their shopping experiences,” said Brian Quinn, executive VP and COO of Hudson. “The addition of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology perfectly complements our current digital footprint, providing travelers with yet another quick, secure, and contactless shopping experience that meets their needs.”
“We’re excited to work with Hudson as they innovate in the travel industry and bring convenient, efficient experiences to travelers,” said Cameron Janes, VP, physical retail at Amazon. “While people are already accustomed to getting what they need on the go at a Hudson store, the addition of Just Walk Out technology will help busy travelers at Dallas Love Field Airport avoid waiting in line to check out so they can grab what they need and make their flight faster. We hope customers enjoy how much more convenient this makes shopping at the airport and look forward to introducing our technology to additional Hudson locations.”