One of Loyola’s main student resources, The Market, has gotten a makeover this semester. 

After undergoing months of construction and a temporary location, the on-campus store has an array of new options, new checkout methods, and a physical transformation. 

In the past, Sodexo employees have run the register to check students out. While they will still be present to stock, answer questions, and complete refunds, Loyola is utilizing Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology for patrons to buy their food. 

Customers will scan their payment method upon entering the store, and once they walk out with their items, they will be automatically charged, bypassing the need for a cashier. 

According to Charlie Casrill, Loyola’s Dining/Sodexo general manager, there are over 50 cameras present in The Market, each tracking purchases from each shelf. 

“If you move a product from one shelf to another, it will not charge you, but we must have an employee scan that product and put it back in the correct place,” Casrill said. 

Each item is tracked by the cameras based on location, weight, and universal product code. According to Casrill, the store has a specific planogram for each product, and it’s scanned in to coordinate with the cameras. 

A planogram is a visual diagram that shows where to place products on shelves to create a layout specific to the store. 

“It is the same system that is used in airports and other campuses around the world,” Casrill said. 

Additionally, the Amazon system does not track purchases with facial recognition but solely through product placement, weight, and barcodes. 

Once all of the cameras are activated and coordinated with the items, The Market will be open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. 

Since its reopening, the on-campus store has been offering over 20 new items. Certain items added take various dietary restrictions into account, such as gluten-free pasta.  It’s also expanded their toiletries and household supplies, now offering items such as deodorant, paper plates, and more medicinal options.