The first Amazon frictionless stores in Wales, named ‘Now in a Minute’, have gone live at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (UK).
Developed in partnership with the hospitality partner Aramark UK, the stores made their debut at the FA Community Shield (an annual football match in England that marks the start of the top-flight domestic season) on August 16th.
The new ‘Now in a Minute’ stores are located on Level 6 of the stadium concourse and will be available for the supporters attending the Community Shield and future events at the Principality Stadium.
The fans and the visitors are at the heart of the ‘Now in a Minute’ stores concept.
‘Now in a Minute’
‘principalitystadium.wales’ stated that the new ‘Now in a Minute’ concept designed to speed up the food and drink service thus helping the fans spend less time in the queues and more time enjoying the action.
The Millennium Stadium, known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff (UK). It has a retractable roof and a capacity to accommodate 73,931 supporters.
London (UK)-based Aramark UK creates memorable food experiences where people work, learn, recover, and play by channeling a collective passion for food and service. They are a leading food service partner working with organizations across a range of market sectors in the United Kingdom. At Aramark UK the teams share a passion for hospitality delivering great things for its people, its partners and the communities.
Cutting-edge Technology
‘principalitystadium.wales’ further stated that named ‘Now in a Minute’ after the much-loved Welsh phrase the new stores combine a touch of Welsh personality with the cutting-edge technology thus helping the supporters get back to the action in as little as a few minutes.
To mark the launch the former Wales rugby international Scott Quinnell (a famous former dual-code Welsh rugby player) was among the first to put the new stores to the test thus trying out the technology ahead of its public debut.
Just Walk Out Technology
Using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology the customers simply tap their payment card to enter, pick up what they want and leave. The sensors automatically identify the items selected and process the payment thus removing the need to queue at a traditional till.
Tailored-to-suit
The stores will stock a selection of popular matchday favorites including confectionery, pies, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages thus helping the supporters spend less time queuing and more time enjoying the event. The product ranges will be tailored to suit different events throughout the year.
eBars
The introduction of the new stores builds on a series of recent investments at the stadium including the installation of more than 20 self-service eBars across the venue. Together, these innovations are helping to modernize the concourse, reduce the queues and improve the service for the fans on event days.
Faster-Convenient
Maintained Tomos Grace, Chief Commercial Officer, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), “We’re continually looking for new and innovative ways to enhance the experience for the millions of fans who visit the Principality Stadium each year. The introduction of our new ‘Now in a Minute’ stores gives the supporters a faster and more convenient way to access food and drink on event days.”
Fans-Visitors Nub
Added Tom Ford, Vice-President (VP), Marketing, Strategy and Culinary, Aramark UK, “When we launched our partnership with the Principality Stadium and the Welsh Rugby Union we spoke about our ambition to put the fans and the visitors at the heart of everything we do. The launch of ‘Now in a Minute’ is another important step in that journey combining the innovative technology with great hospitality to make the matchday experience even better. By making it quicker and easier for the supporters to access food and drink we can help reduce the queues while enabling our teams to focus on delivering great service and creating memorable moments for the guests across the stadium. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and excited about what’s still to come.”
Cardiff (UK)-based the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales recognized by the sport’s international governing body – the World Rugby (the governing body for the sport of rugby union).
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