Aldi’s checkout-free store technology provider Aifi has partnered with Leicester City Football Club to launch a ‘just walk out’ bar and snack station within the club’s King Power Stadium.
Football fans tap their payment card at an entrance gate to the small store, pick up their chosen food and drink items and walk out of the gates on to the concourse, where their card will be automatically charged.
Levy UK+I, the sports and hospitality sector of Compass Group UK and Ireland, which runs the venue, said the ‘Tap + Go’ store was the first frictionless customer experience in a European stadium.
The tech would enable fans “to make purchases in a fraction of the time and with far greater ease” Levy said.
“Combining a range of convenience and safety-enhancing techniques, frictionless systems have the ability to operate in a range of environments, including general concourse and hospitality areas,” said Rak Kalidas, Levy commercial director.
“We believe that this will be a game-changer by making operations far more efficient, easier and exciting for everyone involved, and we look forward to rolling out Tap + Go across more Levy venues,” he added.
In the UK, Aifi works with both Aldi and Morrisons on their checkout-free store concepts. Aldi in January became the first discounter to offer ‘just walk out’ shopping, with the opening of Aldi Shop & Go in Greenwich, London. Morrisons in July last year revealed it was trialling an Amazon Go-style store, open only to staff but with a public launch then said to be imminent.
In March, the Silicon Valley-based business secured $65m in a Series B funding round.
Many of Aifi’s retailer clients were among the investors, including Aldi South Group, German supermarket chain Rewe and Polish convenience brand Żabka Group. The round took Aifi’s total funding to $80m.
Of the King Power Stadium launch, Leicester City operations director Anthony Mundy said the technology would “enable us to take the fan experience to the next level by making it easier than ever for guests to purchase and enjoy our first-class food and beverage offerings”.
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