First-of-its-kind tech in Missouri debuts at Ameristar St. Charles

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The name of the newest store inside Ameristar St. Charles pretty much sums it up. Roll In & Out uses Amazon technology for an effortless, checkout-free experience.

“Amazon approached our company about a year ago to see if we might be interested in this technology for some retail opportunities, and we thought our St. Charles property here at Ameristar would be a good place to try this out,” Ward Shaw, Ameristar’s senior vice president and general manager, said.

Check out these sensors hanging from the ceiling of the store. It’s Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology, and it can accurately determine who took what in any retail environment. There’s a couple of ways to enter the store. “You can literally just scan your card and walk in. What the Amazon technology does is it kind of tracks your blob through the store. You can take things off the shelf, put them back,” Shaw said. “I’ve tested myself by doing a couple of things at once and putting them back, then just walking out with a Twix bar and that’s exactly what I got charged for when I walked out.”

The second way to enter is by using Amazon One technology. You can pre-enroll online or register at this kiosk. Once you’re signed up, all you’ll need to enter is your hand.

“You can connect your credit card to a palm print so if you come back in the future, you just scan your palm, walk in, grab what you want and leave,” Shaw said.

The new store grabbed St. Charles resident Robert Sander’s attention.

“It seems like everyone is in a hurry, so the faster we can do it, the better,” he said.

Sander said he “definitely” plans on signing up.