Amazon Go Checkout-Free Shopping Expands to Toronto and Calgary Sports Arenas

Leading e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has always been at the forefront of pioneering technologies, and one of its most remarkable innovations is the checkout-free shopping experience dubbed Amazon Go.

Following successful launch of several Amazon Go stores across the United States, the company is expanding its footprint bringing the new shopping experience to sports enthusiasts in Toronto and Calgary.

Amazon Go stores have redefined the way we shop. The concept is simple yet revolutionary: customers can walk into the store, grab what they need, and simply walk out. No more waiting in long lines at the checkout counter, no more fumbling with cash or cards.

Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary and Scotiabank Arena in Toronto are spending the fall rolling out Amazon Web Services (AWS) technology allowing customers at the stores to offer fans checkout-free shopping.

“You will be seeing more of this in Canada, not only in stadiums, but in all sorts of other environments as well. We never release timelines but it’ll be coming very soon,” said vice-president of Just Walk Out at AWS, Jon Jenkins.

The technology only requires a fan to scan a debit or credit card to gain entry of a store fitted with overhead cameras and sensors that will use computer vision machine learning and generate artificial intelligence to track what they picked up and return to shelves building a virtual tab for each customer.

After the fan is done shopping, they will simply leave with what they have picked and the technology automatically charges the card they used for entry and sends them a receipt.

This technology will make its debut in Canada on September 29 at the Saddledome, where it will be available to Market 213 shoppers. Thereafter, it will launch at the Scotiabank Arena’s 100-level Grains and Greens and the Molson Market on the 300 level on October 10.