Airport operator JFKIAT has today (Dec 1) announced its partnership with concessionaire SSP America and tech developer Zippin to launch an AI-supported contactless retail concept in Terminal 4 at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport.
Zippin’s new technology for the Camden Food Express, located at Gate B 42, offers a grab-and-go food and beverage selection and leverages AI technology to enable an entirely contactless shopping experience.
Customers enter the store through a turnstile, tapping their credit card as they enter. As they pick items off the shelves, Zippin’s AI system automatically identifies the products and builds the customer’s virtual cart with the corresponding monetary value. When the customer leaves the store, the total amount spent is automatically charged to the card the customer used to check in at the store entrance.
Roel Huinink, president and CEO of JFKIAT, said, “We are thrilled that JFK T4 has become the first airport location to feature Zippin’s innovative retail concept. We have continued to innovate T4’s offerings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and enabling a more contactless customer journey is critical to our mission to provide customers with a safe, seamless experience. This partnership with SSP America and Zippin, launching just as we enter the holiday travel season, is our latest initiative to enable a fully digital purchasing process at T4.”
Gary Jacobus, senior vice president of business development for Zippin, said, “Zippin is honored to be partnered with JFKIAT and SSP America to bring our checkout-free technology to the millions of passengers traveling through JFK International Airport. Consumers have come to expect frictionless, technology-driven experiences that make eating on-the-go easy, enjoyable and fast. Zippin allows guests to get in, take what they want and leave within seconds rather than minutes, so they are able to get on with their trip.”
Michael Svagdis, CEO of SSP America, commented, “As the food travel expert, SSP America is excited to see Zippin deployed to ensure passengers have a speedy, contactless option while traveling through JFK’s T4. The SSP America team is passionate about bringing authentic restaurants to airports. Implementing innovative technology to provide a range of shopping solutions is an important part of our commitment to our customers and clients. As always, we are so pleased to be part of the JFKIAT team and look forward to continued collaboration as we work to deliver a world-class passenger experience at T4.”
This offering is JFKIAT’s most recent move to enable a contactless customer experience. Earlier this year, JFKIAT partnered with Hudson to launch a fully automated, contactless retail concept for a selection of high-end brands for customers at T4. The company also collaborated with Inflyter and DFS Group to launch T4 Marketplace, a branded digital marketplace for duty-free shopping. With the launch of the digital marketplace, JFKIAT also plans to expand the offering to include other retailers within T4 to provide customers with a wider range of products to shop. In 2019, JFKIAT launched AtYourGate at T4, giving customers the ability to order food and beverages on the AtYourGate app and have items delivered to their gate.