Dublin Airport steps into the future with ‘first of its kind’ shop

Simon Kelly

Buying a bag of crisps for the flight will never be the same.

Dublin Airport has announced that it is opening a store operated by artificial intelligence, the first of its kind in Ireland.

In a statement on Monday, October 16, a spokesperson for the airport said the store offers a “frictionless, checkout-free experience for passengers.”

The newly-opened shop, called Dublin Town To Go, is located in Terminal 1 Arrivals and features multiple AI-focused elements.

To enter the store, passengers must scan their debit or credit card. A combination of camera technology and weight-sensor-enabled shelving detects what each shopper is buying and charges their card once they exit the shop.

The store, which is open 24 hours a day, sells things like coffee, pastries, sandwiches and salads to sweets, cereal, milk and toiletries.

Check-out (pun intended) the new AI-powered Dublin Town To Go store in T1 Arrivals at Dublin Airport!

Simply scan your payment card to get in the shop & a combination of cameras & weight sensored shelving then detects what you’re buying & charges your card when you walk out. ? pic.twitter.com/167Z1LA52W

— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) October 16, 2023

AI-operated store “something completely new and different for passengers”

According to Vincent Harrison, Chief Commercial and Development Officer at Dublin Airport: “The opening of a checkout-free store in the airport is something completely new and different for passengers and we think they are going to love it. Dublin Airport is excited to be the home of the first concept store of this kind to be opened in Ireland.

“Whether passengers want to pick up a pre-flight sandwich and coffee, or essentials such as milk and cereal after arriving back into Dublin Airport, the technology deployed in ‘Dublin Town To Go’ means they can do it quickly and in a hassle-free manner. We can’t wait for passengers to try out the new store for themselves.”

While the first of its kind in Ireland, similar stores have already opened across the globe. In the UK, Amazon opened up their Amazon Fresh stores which use similar technology to create a frictionless environment for customers.

However, in 2023 the company announced it was closing some of their stores across the country saying they “decided to exit certain stores with low-growth potential.”