Game On! Amazon Takes a Swing at Cashierless Checkout With the Houston Astros

With so many startups in the space, success is not guaranteed.

The News

• Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology is now powering two cashierless checkout stores at Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros play Major League Baseball.

• Fans shopping at the stores insert their credit card upon walking in, grab the snacks, sodas, etc. that they want, and then leave, getting charged automatically.

• Stadiums will be a big market for cashierless checkout. Though Amazon is the 800 lbs gorilla in the space, there are plenty of smaller startups with the technology chops to put up a challenging fight for stadium installations.

The Story

Two of the best use cases for cashierless checkout are airports and sporting venues because both feature high-volumes of people who want to grab food and drinks quickly. Thus, the fiercest battles between cashierless checkout companies will be fought over floorspace at airports and stadiums.

Typically, the news of Amazon moving into a particular vertical sends shockwaves through that industry (see: Amazon buying Whole Foods). But success and dominance are not guaranteed for Amazon in the sporting event space.