AiFi, a California-based automated retail technology provider, has partnered with the Chicago White Sox to open a checkout-free store at Guaranteed Rate Field, a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois. The store was launched in partnership with Delaware North, an American multinational food service and hospitality company, and Shift4, a provider of payment processing solutions.

Under the partnership, AiFi powers a 480 sq ft checkout-free store that sells snacks and beverages called The Marketplace. The store reportedly supported a volume of 40,000 customers during the recent “Crosstown Classic.” 

Analyst QuickTake: Checkout-free store formats are gaining traction across sports and entertainment venues. AiFi also powers a checkout-free store in Acrisure Arena , Riverside County, California. Meanwhile, AiFi’s competitor Zippin had 71 stores at stadiums (as of September 2023), and Amazon ’s Just Walk Out technology powered 80 stadium-based stores, with plans to launch 14 new stores in partnership with the NFL (as of September 2024).