Advertisement

WHSmith Opens First U.S. Location at NYC Airport Leveraging Amazon’s Cashierless Tech

WHSmith Laquardia Amazon just walk out

Global travel retailer WHSmith has opened its first North American retail location inside the redesigned Terminal B concourse at New York City’s LaGuardia airport. The store is equipped with Amazon’s Just Walk Out (JWO) technology, offering travelers a checkout-free shopping experience.

“As a group, we’re always striving to provide the best retail experience for our customers, and this new technology allows travelers to shop quickly and with ease during their journey,” said Toby Keir, CEO of Marshall Retail Group, which owns the WHSmith brand, in a statement. “It’s a hugely exciting time for our business and we look forward to strengthening the retail provision in airports across the U.S. by opening more stores under our WHSmith, Marshall Retail Group and InMotion brands.”

With just a dip or a tap of a credit card, customers can enter the new WHSmith store, pick up their desired items and leave without waiting in line. As travelers shop, the JWO technology determines what they take from, or return, to shelves. Customers’ credit cards will be charged only for the items they took with them after they leave the store.

“Amazon’s Just Walk Out Shopping experience is designed to be convenient and effortless, so the new WHSmith store will be ideal for travelers who are in a hurry to pick up refreshments, reading materials or gifts before or after their flights,” said Dilip Kumar, VP of Physical Retail and Technology at Amazon in a statement.

Advertisement

WHSmith joins a growing roster of retailers that have implemented Amazon’s JWO tech in their stores, including fellow travel retailer Hudson at the Dallas Love Field Airport, Sainsbury’s in London, several Starbucks locations and at the Amazon-owned Whole Foods.

Featured Event

View the Retail Trendcaster Webinar Series on-demand to uncover key 2025 retail trends, from AI and personalization to social commerce. Gain expert insights, data-driven predictions, and actionable takeaways to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Retail Trendcaster Webinar Series
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Uncovering What’s Next in Retail

On-Demand Limited Video Series

Q1 is a pivotal time for retail, with experts analyzing holiday sales and forecasting trends. View the full lineup of the Retail Trendcaster video series for insights on consumer spending, AI, personalization, social commerce, and more—helping you focus on what truly matters in 2025.

Brought to you by
Retail TouchPoints
Access Now
Retail TouchPoints is a brand of Emerald X LLC. By clicking the button and submitting information, you acknowledge and agree that your information may be shared with corporate affiliates of Emerald X LLC, and other organizations such as event hosts, speakers, sponsors, and partners. Please read our Privacy Policy and our Terms Of Use for more information on our policies.

Access The Media Kit

Interests:

Access Our Editorial Calendar




If you are downloading this on behalf of a client, please provide the company name and website information below: