New Airport Retail Approach: Just Walk Out

Travelers trying to grab a quick sandwich or new book to read in their dash to catch a plane will be bolstered in their quest by a new cashier-less system that does away with the line.

OTG, a hospitality group that is transforming the airport experience, is experimenting with Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology in select CIBO Express Gourmet Markets, with the first store set to open next week at Newark Liberty’s Terminal C. It will then be followed by additional stores at Newark Liberty and LaGuardia Airports. Travelers will be able to purchase food and beverage items at CIBO Express Gourmet Markets without stopping to check out.

By using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology in these markets, busy airport travelers can quickly enter the store using their credit card, grab the CIBO items they wish to purchase, and just walk out for maximum speed and convenience.

The technology uses a combination of cameras, sensors, computer vision techniques and deep learning to allow customers to shop, then leave the store without waiting in line to pay. The shopper uses a credit card to enter the store, then technology detects what products the shopper takes from or returns to the shelves with a virtual cart.

When done shopping, the busy traveler can just leave and their credit card will be charged for the items in their virtual cart. To get a receipt, the shopper can visit a kiosk in the store and give an email address. A receipt will be emailed to and, if they use the same credit card to enter this or any other Just Walk Out-enabled store in the future, a receipt will be emailed to them automatically. Amazon started licensing the technology to stores this month.

“We’ve found that shoppers truly appreciate checkout-free retail experiences, so we’re thrilled to be working with an innovative company like OTG to bring our proven Just Walk Out technology to their airport stores,” said Dilip Kumar, Vice President, Physical Retail & Technology at Amazon. “Starting next week, travelers in the busy Newark Liberty Terminal C will no longer have to assess store lines to determine if they can quickly grab that snack, bottle of water, or travel essential they need before their flight – OTG’s CIBO Express Gourmet Markets featuring Just Walk Out technology will let them quickly grab what they need and get on their way without standing in line to check out. We can’t wait to hear how travelers like the experience!”