Dive Brief:
- As more retail tech companies roll out cashierless tech tools, JFKIAT, which runs Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, has partnered with Zippin and SSP America to integrate Zippin's A.I. technology into Camden Food Express at Gate B 42, according to information emailed to Retail Dive.
- When shoppers pass through a turnstile, they can tap their credit card, and Zippin's A.I. technology will identify and track the items they pick. Once they leave, their credit card will be charged for the cost of the goods they chose.
- About 100 Zippin-powered stores are expected in train stations and airports by the end of next year, according to the company.
Dive Insight:
Besides its partnership with JFKIAT, Zippin has spent the past few years raising funding and working with retailers to expand its reach. In 2019 the company raised $12 million in a Series A funding round to enable the company to invest in product innovation, hire additional staff for its technical team and expand sales and partnership efforts. That same year, the startup teamed up with Lojas Americanas S.A., a retailer in Brazil, to provide its checkout-free technology in its stores across the country. Then, in early September this year, the company raised $30 million to implement its retail technology in more stores.
"Zippin is honored to be partnered with JFKIAT and SSP America to bring our checkout-free technology to the millions of passengers traveling through JFK International Airport," Gary Jacobus, senior vice president of business development for Zippin, said in a statement. "Consumers have come to expect frictionless, technology driven experiences that make eating on-the-go easy, enjoyable and fast. Zippin allows guests to get in, take what they want and leave within seconds rather than minutes, so they are able to get on with their trip."
Meanwhile, Amazon has also had its eye on the cashierless technology market. In March 2020 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the retail sector, Amazon began selling its cashierless technology to other retailers. And last month, the e-commerce giant collaborated with Starbucks to open a Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go in New York.
A 2020 survey from PYMNTS.com and USA Technologies indicated of those customers using unattended retail, which includes vending machines, cashierless stores, and self-serve kiosks, nearly half use it because it's faster than traditional retailers. The report went on to say that 20.6% of American consumers are interested in non-traditional, unattended shopping experiences, but only 6.1% of consumers purchase from them.
Though Walmart ended its Scan & Go program, other retailers and tech companies have been trying to perfect the tools needed to track and execute cashierless transactions.
