Marymount University announced its collaboration with Amazon to become the first university in the U.S. to have an on-campus convenience store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Located on Marymount’s main campus in Arlington, the new convenience shop – Saints 24 – implements Amazon’s cutting-edge Just Walk Out technology designed to eliminate checkout lines and provide an effortless customer experience. Customers use their credit card at the entry gates of Saints 24, grab what they need, and the technology automatically detects what is taken from (or returned to) store shelves, creating a virtual shopping cart. When customers have completed their shopping, they can leave the store without stopping to check out, and their credit card will be charged for the items they took.
Dr. Irma Becerra, president of Marymount University, said in the announcement: “Becoming the first university in the U.S. to collaborate with Amazon in incorporating its Just Walk Out technology at an on-campus convenience shop demonstrates how Marymount is leading the way in fostering an innovative and exciting student experience that appeals to the tech-savvy college students of today.”
In the initial planning for the Saints 24 store, Marymount said its administrators surveyed student leaders in the University’s Student Government Association (SGA) to hear what products they would like to have in a new convenience shop on campus. Their recommendations led to an available item list including freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps, salads, sushi, yogurt and ice cream, as well as other items such as toiletries, feminine hygiene products and more.
“Marymount is committed to providing students with new and exciting on-campus experiences that cater to their needs, and we’re proud to collaborate on their first checkout-free store,” Dilip Kumar, vice president of AWS Applications, added in the announcement. “Now, students and guests can grab food, beverages and other essentials in a way that is easy and convenient for them.”
