A new frictionless convenience store, using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, has launched at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT).
The store, YalaPlus, is located on the CIT Bruce Campus and makes CIT the first education institute in the southern hemisphere to deploy Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Andrew Scotford, CEO of the Canberra Institute of Technology Student Association (CITSA), said Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology will benefit all students, especially those studying outside of regular business hours.
“Many CIT students are balancing work, study, and training, so flexibility and accessibility are important to them. There are also 48 students who live on the CIT Bruce Campus that don’t have easy access to nearby shopping. YalaPlus now offers convenient access to products such as food, beverages, and other essential items. In early 2024, we plan to open two more stores at CIT campuses, at Fyshwick and at Bruce.”
The technology uses AU like computer vision and deep learning techniques to accurately determine what shoppers take or return to shelves and simplifies the shopping experience by removing checkout lines.
At YalaPlus, students will enter the store using their credit card or mobile wallet at the entry gate. Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology then detects what they take from or return to the shelves, and when they leave the store, their credit card gets charged for the items they take.
Jon Jenkins, Vice President of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, said they congratulate CITSA on their pursuit to improve the student experience on campus with the latest in checkout-free technology.
“We’re delighted to collaborate with the Student Association to introduce Just Walk Out technology at YalaPlus convenience store, a first-of-its-kind implementation in a higher education institution in Australia. Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology will deliver a new level of convenience to students, enabling them to access refreshments and food day and night with minimal wait times.”
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