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Leicester City have confirmed a new partnership with Levy UK+I which will see the Premier League outfit become the first club in Europe, across any sport, to offer a checkout-less experience at their home venue.
The King Power Stadium will now feature the hospitality division of Compass Group’s newly launched Tap + Go innovation, allowing fans to purchase food and drinks without having to pay at a till.
After tapping their payment cards at the gate upon entry, fans will be able to pick up items, with their cards charged automatically instead of needing to check out at a till.
Tap + Go utilises frictionless technology and is operated by AiFi’s artificial intelligence (AI) powered tracker which recognises products being selected by the buyer, before they are added to a virtual basket. Checkout tills will be replaced by fully contactless payment terminals connected to digital barriers upon exit.
Leicester are hoping the innovation allows fans to make quicker purchases and reduce waiting times.
“The truly frictionless [food and beverage] purchase experience created through Tap + Go marks a major step forward for Leicester City and the fan experience at the King Power Stadium,” said Rak Kalidas, commercial director at Levy UK+I.
“Combining a range of convenience and safety-enhancing techniques, frictionless systems have the ability to operate in a range of environments, including general concourse and hospitality areas – we believe that this will be a game-changer by making operations far more efficient, easier and exciting for everyone involved, and we look forward to rolling out Tap + Go across more Levy venues.”
Anthony Mundy, Leicester City’s operations director, added: “We are constantly looking at new solutions to improve the stadium experience for fans.
“The launch of Tap + Go at our venue will enable us to take the fan experience to the next level by making it easier than ever for guests to purchase and enjoy our first-class food and beverage offerings. We are confident that our partnership with Levy UK+I will continue to make the future of hospitality accessible to our guests.”
