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Fast Track Convenience has launched a unique opportunity with the Franklin Athletic Club, based in Southfield, Mich., to offer the latest wave in retail technology for a one-of-a-kind convenience store that opened this month for members and staff. No other club in the country has adopted such distinctive high-tech measures.

Fast Track Convenience is a state-of-the-art, self-checkout system that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to detect merchandise for purchasing -- then with the aid of a pleasant, computerized voice, quickly walks consumers through a simple transaction that's as fast as swiping a debit or credit card. Another payment option allows anyone to deposit money in advance and purchase from that stored-up credit through thumbprint identification, a drivers license -- or in this case, a gym membership card.

This exclusive technology will make Franklin Athletic Club's store a combination convenience store and mini food court that's always open, but without the need to staff it.

"We strive to offer choices to our members that set our club apart from others. Fast Track Convenience is one more way to do this; it offers 24/7 access to fresh quality food, snacks, beverages, apparel and hundreds of other products normally found in retail stores but that we couldn't have offered in a traditional, limited vending machine set-up. Our members love it," said Franklin Athletic Club owner, Rick Brode, in a prepared statement.

"We're excited for Franklin Athletic Club. This is a great way for members and staff to have good food selections at the end of a workout, on their way home or when they haven't had an opportunity to pick up a nutritious meal," said Ray Friedrich, general manager of Fast Track Convenience.

"The opportunities to revolutionize shopping as we know it today are limitless," Friedrich added. "While the vending machine industry is entrenched in the limitations of only offering products that can fit behind a glass door and survive a drop, Fast Track Convenience's use of RFID allows consumer choices of virtually any size or style of product.

"Such unique items that members and staff can't buy through vending machines would be apparel, OTC medications or fresh deli sandwiches from our partner Abe's Deli -- which you can actually read the label before purchasing. Of course, traditional items like pop and snacks are also available."

Fast Track Convenience kiosks (or centers) will typically be utilized in a corporate, school or hospital setting -- venues where a secure room can be dedicated and set up with anti-theft devices. Items for purchase will be in a cooler, freezer or out on display racks for consumers to pick up, touch, read, etc. Unlike bar coding, the RFID allows for alerting security cameras and staff if an item is removed illegally, but it also will pick up and record the product information from the consumer's selected items within a few feet when they approach the pay kiosk.

The kiosk then lists the items and price on a computer screen for verification. The consumer simply swipes a debit, credit or pre-paid card or scans their thumb print and they are out the door.