Co-op Live, the UK’s largest live entertainment arena, of which the Co-op is a major investor, has launched what it has claimed to be “Europe’s first fully frictionless, autonomous market and self-serve bar”.
The arena store brings together technology from AiFi – which powers Aldi’s checkout-free store in Greenwich – and Boxbar Tech’s automated self-serve draught system.
Together this allows arena visitors to “simply tap their card to enter, grab their favourite hot food, premium grab-and-go items and draught drinks” with “no queues, no tills, no waiting” the venue said.
The store is located in Vertu Place on Level 0 inside one of the arena’s busiest areas. The site – built in partnership with Oak View Group – “demonstrates how advanced retail and beverage technology can scale seamlessly in demanding environments – improving guest flow, reducing wait times and helping fans get back to the show faster than ever” Co-op Live said.
Despite initial excitement around checkout-free stores, the application of the technology in supermarket and convenience settings has been limited.
Amazon initially claimed its Just Walk Out technology would “push the state-of-the-art forward” to “reimagine the in-store shopping experience” and “redefine retail”. However, after launching several Just Walk Out stores in the UK, Amazon moved to shutter them all at the end of last year.
Sainsbury’s checkout-free, SmartShop Pick & Go store in Holborn was stripped of Just Walk Out technology last year. Purchases are now made via a customer kiosk with a till and two small self-checkouts.
While Tesco has four GetGo stores – which use technology from Trigo – all feature a ‘hybrid’ format, meaning shoppers can still use a checkout if they want to.
The technology’s real promise appears limited to specific situations with bursts of demand, like stadia, hospitals and conference centres, or much smaller format stores.
There are many examples of this use case in the UK, including a Market Express convenience store at the ExCeL centre run by firm Levy UK&I; several LittleFresh branded, food-to-go focused stores at electric forecourt sites owned and operated by Gridserve; a self-serve drink and snack bar at The O2 entertainment venue; and a food store and bar at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
“Co-op Live was designed to lead the way in how a modern arena can operate, and this new autonomous market is a powerful example of that ambition in action,” said Michalis Fragkiadakis, SVP of hospitality strategy at OVG International.
João Diogo Falcão, CEO at AiFi, said the installation was “about building the foundation for how large-scale environments operate when physical spaces become fully digitised”.
“AiFi’s spatial intelligence enables partners like Boxbar and OVG to deploy experiences that are consistent, scalable, and responsive to real-world behaviour. Together, we’re laying the groundwork for a new model of venue operations that can extend across cities, regions, and global portfolios,” he added.
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