AO Arena Manchester has launched its first ever frictionless bar, which is completely self-service and includes a contactless payment system.

Natasha Skelton, senior sales manager at the 21000-capacity indoor arena, announced the launch on Monday in a LinkedIn post, describing the new bar as “a game changer for the customer experience”.

The bar, which features a variety of food and drink options, aims to increase efficiency and speed in a high-traffic environment by enabling customers to explore and select their preferred drinks at their own pace. The contactless payment systems also aim to reduce crowd and congestion.

“It drastically reduced wait times allowing for smoother services and more time for customers to enjoy performances and less time queuing,” Skelton said, adding that the implementation led to “happier customers all around with higher satisfaction.”

The frictionless bar is powered by spatial intelligence and autonomous solutions specialist AiFi, who recently announced the expansion of its frictionless checkout services in 20 sports stadiums.

Several UK venues have rolled out self-service solutions for customers in recent years, including Leicester City Football Club which became the first European venue to introduce a frictionless AI powered kiosk for self-service purchases in August 2022.

In June last year, the O2 in London also launched self-serve bars powered by Just Walk Out Technology, eliminating traditional checkouts by enabling guests to tap in with a contactless payment, order their drinks and snacks.

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