Cashierless checkout startup AiFi announced today that it has partnered with Verizon to open up a cashierless convenience Indy Express Shop NanoStore at the Indianapolis 500 race this weekend. The store will allow ticket holders, staff, drivers, volunteers to buy packaged snacks, beverages and merchandise without needing to stand in a checkout line.
To enter and shop at the NanoStore, users need to download the Indy Express Shop app. Customers scan the app upon entrance and once inside, AiFi’s computer vision and AI trechnology keep track of what items are chosen. When customers exit the store, they are automatically charged for whatever they took.
Cashierless checkout is having a big year so far, and sporting venues could be one of the primary locations we see the technology roll out first. Cashierless checkout stores allow sports or concert attendees to quickly walk in, grab what they want and walk out without needing to stand in a line. This speed allows people to get back to their seat sooner and not miss as much of the action. In a post-pandemic world, this speed also means fewer people are congregating inside a store at any given moment, reducing human-to-human interaction and potential viral transmission.
Rival cashierless checkout startup Zippin has installed cashierless checkout stores at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, and Mile High Stadium in Denver.
AiFi’s NanoStores are basically self-contained, standalone unattended retail experiences that can be set up almost anywhere. This means that not only can AiFi retrofit existing stores in stadiums (and elsewhere), it can also create cashierless stores for outdoor venues and events, like the one at the Indianapolis 500.
The Indianpolis 500 will happen on Sunday, May 30th, but AiFi’s store is open now during all the preliminary events leading up to the race.
