USA. Leading travel retailer WHSmith has opened its first retail location in North America under the WHSmith brand at the new LaGuardia Airport Terminal B western concourse.
The store features Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, offering travellers a checkout-free shopping experience. With the tap of a credit card customers can enter the store, pick up their desired items, and leave without waiting in line to pay.
Just Walk Out technology determines what they take from or return to the shelves, and the credit card they used will be charged for the items they took after they leave the store. The offer includes on-the-go snacks, beverages and everyday travel essentials.
“Opening the first North American WHSmith using Amazon’s groundbreaking Just Walk Out technology at LaGuardia Terminal B is truly an honour,” said Marshall Retail Group CEO, Toby Keir.
“As a group, we’re always striving to provide the best retail experience for our customers and this new technology allows travellers to shop quickly and with ease during their journey. It’s a hugely exciting time for our business and we look forward to strengthening the retail provision in airports across the US by opening more stores under our WHSmith, Marshall Retail Group and InMotion brands.”
“We’re excited to welcome the new WHSmith to Terminal B, and with it, another state-of-the-art amenity for Terminal B guests,” said Joanne King, Director of Commercial Operations at LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the developer and manager of Terminal B. “Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology will give travellers the option to seamlessly grab what they need and go – one more example of the elevated guest experience at the new Terminal B.”
“Airport terminals can be very busy places, so we’re excited WHSmith has equipped their LaGuardia airport store with our Just Walk Out technology,” said Dilip Kumar, Vice President of Physical Retail & Technology at Amazon. “Amazon’s Just Walk Out Shopping experience is designed to be convenient and effortless, so the new WHSmith store will be ideal for travellers who are in a hurry to pick up refreshments, reading materials, or gifts before or after their flights.”
