Levy UK+I, the sports and hospitality sector of?Compass Group UK and Ireland, has just introduced Tap + Go, the European first-to-market frictionless customer experience for stadia, with Leicester City’s King Power Stadium the first to benefit from the innovation.
Coming off the back of the successful ‘Market X’ Compass Ireland launch, Levy UK+I has partnered with global autonomous retail experts, AiFi, to take the concept one step further into the high volume, high footfall stadia market.
This landmark innovation will enable matchday fans to experience the future of food and drink purchases, without having to pay at a till, paving the way for a new class of guest experience across Levy-operated venues.
As the first stadium in Europe to implement this technology, Leicester City Football Club will provide an enhanced, streamlined customer matchday refreshment journey to its fans at King Power Stadium.
Guests simply need to tap a payment card upon entry, pick up their items and walk out of the gates onto the concourse, where their card will be automatically charged – a process which takes a matter of seconds.
Utilising frictionless technology, Tap + Go, is operated via AiFi’s AI-powered anonymised shopper tracking which recognises the products being selected by customers, before adding them to a virtual basket.
Facial recognition is not needed, ensuring complete anonymity. Checkouts will be replaced by the installation of fully contactless payment terminals connected to digital barriers upon exit, enabling fans to make purchases in a fraction of the time and with far greater ease.
Rak Kalidas, Commercial Director, Levy UK+I, commented, “The truly frictionless F&B purchase experience created through Tap + Go marks a major step forward for Leicester City and the fan experience at the King Power Stadium.
'In an industry currently teeming with innovation, this technology is a fine example of how Levy UK+I stands out in taking the hospitality sector forwards further and faster.
'We are proud to be working closely with our venue partners to offer guests a revolutionary experience that goes beyond anything currently available in UK stadia.
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.”
Leicester City Operations Director, Anthony Mundy, said, “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.”
Jon Braithwaite, Chief Information Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland, said, “As a business, we’re extremely excited that our focus and investment in innovation has allowed us to bring frictionless technology to this high traffic and high-volume environment – a European first in stadia and top-flight sports.
'Working with our customers and partners on step-changes such as this, significantly improving the customer experience, is a real passion for the Compass team.”