PHOTO GALLERY: Autonomous ampm Meets Fans' Demand for Convenience
SAN FRANCISCO — Self-checkout has been on trend for a long time in the retail space. While the first machines were introduced in the 1980s, it's really been in the 21st century that cashierless checkouts have started to become common sights at grocery, drug and big-box stores.
The technology has continued to expand and create new permutations beyond those initially clunky machines. For instance, why not use an app to scan and tally up items while shopping, and then skip the checkout line? Or instead of scanning items individually at a single kiosk, why not have the store entrance itself serve as the register?
Although the last year has seen a growing number of critiques leveled against self-checkout systems, both inside and outside of retail, the truth is they're still popular with customers. According to Forbes, younger millennials and Generation Z overwhelmingly prefer self-checkout, with 86% of 18- to 34-year-olds stating they would choose a retailer with scan-and-go options over one without.
So, the question for many convenience store operators becomes less, Should we use a contactless system? and more, How can we best utilize one our customers will want? In the case of bp America's c-store brand ampm, the answer is: Put it in a place where guests will want to keep their visits short and sweet.
Opened last summer, ampm's store in San Francisco's Chase Center — home of the Golden State Warriors basketball team — presented a perfect opportunity for the retailer to put frictionless technology into use. Now, rather than wait in line for food or drinks and potentially miss a pivotal three-pointer by the home team, customers can simply scan their credit card at the store entrance to get inside, select their items and then walk out, with the entryway automatically charging those items to the scanned card.
Lisa Blalock, vice president of U.S. convenience at bp America, shared with Convenience Store News that even the process to create the store was relatively, well, frictionless.
"ampm became a sponsor of the Golden State Warriors beginning in the 2022-2023 season. As part of the sponsorship package, an entitlement space was planned as an ampm-branded Grab and Go [store]. In discussing ways to enhance the guest fan experience as the space was being conceptualized, the Chase Center team brought forward the opportunity to partner with another key team sponsor, Verizon, to deliver a frictionless experience," she recounted.
Verizon Business came onboard, along with the relevant 5G technology and camera systems needed to track customers' cards and the product barcodes, and the plan was set.
Located on the arena's main concourse and managed by the stadium's concessions team, the autonomous ampm ASAP Grab and Go store is much smaller than a typical ampm store, sitting at a petite 319 square feet. The layout and available products were chosen according to the existing footprint, but that doesn't mean the retailer skimped on the offerings.
"The store offers a mix of prepackaged snacks, candy and freshly baked ampm cookies, as well as beverages, including ampm's exclusive Aqua Blast Gatorade flavor," Blalock said. "The mix is determined by the Bon Appétit [Management Co.] concessions team with some additional proprietary ampm items."
The store even has a selection of beer and wine options for guests aged 21 and older. A clerk stays onsite to verify customers' ages, as well as help any guests who might need assistance, but it's entirely possible to make a purchase without any interaction at all.
"Our associates at the Warriors have been wonderful in [serving as] brand ambassadors to help educate fans and facilitate a smooth experience for fans as this is the first frictionless experience at the Chase Center," Blalock said, noting that ampm was drawn to the Warriors organization and the Chase Center because of the team's presence in the Bay Area community and aligned focus on innovation.
The customer response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, she said, with many Warriors fans expressing surprise at how easy the technology is to use.
This feedback has reinforced some of the brand's plans for the future.
"[This store] is part of our commitment to enhancing the ampm shopping experience with reduced wait times and increased speed of service," Blalock said. "Innovation and guest centricity is at the core of our strategic approach, both in the short and long term."
With that in mind, the chain isn't looking to adopt the ASAP Grab and Go model on a wide scale. Rather, the retailer is planning to deploy the technology strategically at similar locations throughout its network of more than 1,000 convenience stores across the West Coast.
"ampm is continuing to seek opportunities to enhance guest experiences at all of our stores," said Blalock. "This includes bringing frictionless experiences to additional stadium stores, such as the updated design and tech introduced at the Seattle Mariners' stadium earlier [in 2023]."
The chain's parent company is also prioritizing its convenience offerings and looking for new ways to connect with its guests. Convenience is one of bp's four "transition growth engines."
[Read more: bp Is on a Mission to be Customer Obsessed]
bp has maintained the ampm brand since it bought out its original owner, Atlantic Richfield Co., nearly a quarter century ago, and it's continued to expand into new territory. In 2017, bp reintroduced the storied Amoco fuel brand stateside after almost a decade of absence and in 2021, the company bought out the shares of ArcLight Capital Partners, its ownership partner on Thorntons, bringing the latter entirely under its umbrella. With the addition of last year's $1.3 billion acquisition of TravelCenters of America, bp now oversees nearly 1,500 c-store and travel center locations across the continental U.S., and it doesn't intend to slow down any time soon.
"We've been very clear that our ambition in the U.S. is to grow," Blalock said. "We are committed to growing our network, expanding our offers and connecting with our guests in new ways through our digital experiences. We are focused on bringing new and exciting innovations across our proprietary food, beverage flavors and physical store experiences."
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