Acrisure Arena, a minor-league hockey and concert venue located near Palm Springs, Calif., has added two checkout-free concession stands using technology from AiFi, according to a press release from AiFi and the arena.
From what we can tell from photos sent to us by AiFi, the stands are of the smaller drink-lane variety, with mainly canned beverages in coolers and some snacks, including some hot food items (pizzas and hot dogs) front-loaded into heated containers.
“We are pleased to introduce AiFi technology in two Grab & Go Stands at Acrisure Arena,” said John Page, senior vice president of Acrisure Arena and Coachella Valley Firebirds, in a prepared statement. “These stands represent our commitment to providing fans with the ultimate convenience and a seamless experience during their visit to the arena.”
An interesting note in the press release confirms a process we have seen used at some other checkout-free stores, where customers are initially charged $25 on their cards for pre-authorization. According to the press release this is how AiFi describes the process:
“To streamline the purchasing process, fans will be required to pre-authorize a $25 card charge before entering the stand. This pre-authorization is like gas stations when gas is pumped and will not result in an actual charge. If the guest spends less than $25, a credit will be issued within 3-5 days, with the average often being quicker. The pre-authorization drops off the credit card statement as other retail store purchases do. Debit transactions will have a 3–5-day credit.”
According to our unofficial tally of checkout-free concession stands located inside stadiums, AiFi now has 26 stadium stores, trailing other technology providers Zippin (84 stores) and Amazon (73 checkout-free stores plus four RFID merchandise stores). Acrisure Arena, built by sports venue developer and manager Oak View Group, opened in December 2022.
