At the US Open, AI checkout lets the Amex Shop team focus on welcoming fans
+40%One week into the 2024 main draw, average daily sales were up more than 40% and average foot traffic up more than 30% year on year, according to Zippin. Since the shop's first year in 2021, average daily traffic is up more than 195% and sales more than 330%. New Ralph Lauren US Open items made up more than 25% of sales in 2024.
“One week into the U.S. Open main draw, average foot traffic through the store was up more than 30%, with average daily sales up more than 40% year-over-year, according to Zippin.”
Sports Business Journal, Sep 2024 (also Zippin, Sep 2024), 4 Sept 2024
- Who
- The USTA's US Open (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York) and its sponsor American Express, with Zippin's checkout technology. The shop, open to Amex cardholders, sells snacks, drinks, local brands and exclusive merchandise.
- Problem
- At a Grand Slam, fans have a few minutes between matches or sessions to grab a drink or a souvenir. Queues at a till cost them play time and cost the shop sales, and the team spends its peak hours scanning items.
- Agent
- Zippin fitted the store with 44 ceiling cameras running computer vision and several hundred shelf sensors. The system follows each shopper through the store, sees which items are picked up or put back and in what quantity, and closes the basket when the fan leaves. Brand ambassadors stay at the entrance and exit to guide visitors, and fans get their receipt via a QR code.
We'll build it for you
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Try it yourself with Zippin computer vision checkout
You run the shop, bar or snack stand at a tennis, padel or pickleball club or tournament. Goal: shorten queues at peak times so the team can spend more time with players and fans. My input: [opening hours and the busiest moments, e.g. between sessions], [what we sell, with prices], [how people pay today], [average wait at peak, if we know it], [number of staff per shift], [budget]. Give me: 1) where the queue really comes from, step by step; 2) three options to speed up payment, from simple ones (ready-made bundles, a card-only lane, order ahead by QR code) to AI checkout tools, with pros, cons and what each one needs; 3) a one-weekend test plan and the two numbers to track. Don't promise results, and flag anything you're unsure about.What we can do for your club or brand
Every club or tournament has the same rush: between matches, everyone wants a drink or a souvenir at the same time. The Court can help you look at your peaks, test faster ways to pay at your shop or bar, from simple setups to AI checkout, and measure what it changes, so your team spends the busy minutes with players and fans.
What they did
Since 2021 the American Express Shop, under Court 7 near Arthur Ashe Stadium, has used Zippin's computer vision checkout. In 2023 it added soft goods (hats, shirts, towels) and in 2024 exclusive Ralph Lauren merchandise, alongside local New York brands. Ambassadors at the turnstiles guide fans in and out, and receipts arrive by QR code, usually within 5 to 10 minutes.
How it went
In its fourth year the shop broke its records again: daily sales up more than 40% and traffic up more than 30% in a year, and more than 330% and 195% since 2021, according to Zippin. The team's time goes to welcoming and guiding fans rather than scanning items. Limits: figures are reported by Zippin; part of the growth comes from rising US Open attendance; at peak times receipts can take a few hours.