You’ve probably heard about or seen Amazon’s Just Walk Out stores, those futuristic shops where you grab what you want and leave.
Well now, the University of British Columbia has recently opened Gage Market, the first fully autonomous convenience store on a university campus, located in the lobby of Gage Commons in April 2025.
And no, there’s no cashier.
No checkout counter. No app.
@ubcliving Now available at Walter Gage🧺 #ubc #ubcliving #ubcstudent #market #food #snacks #ubcfoodie #ubcfood #foodie #drinks #coffee #vancouver ♬ original sound – nicole
Just swipe in, grab your stuff, and leave.
Gage Market uses overhead cameras and shelf sensors to track what you pick up or put back.
Just swipe your credit card to enter, shop freely, and then yes just walk out.
Your card is automatically charged for the items you took.
Brian Helberg, the Assistant Media Strategist for UBC Media Relations, told Noms Magazine that the Gage Market uses Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and is operated by Canteen Canada/Compass Group, which partners with Amazon to bring this system to life.
Unlike other cashier-free options like the newly opened Aisle 24, which requires downloading an app and scanning items, Gage Market skips all that.
No app. No checkout. Just swipe and go.
And yes, we’ve all seen the online jokes about unmanned stores.
Every time a fully unmanned store concept gets posted, the comments are flooded with takes like “This would never work in North America” or “It’ll be ransacked in a week.”
Well, UBC hasn’t been the only one putting this concept to the test.
The Amazon Just Walk Out technology has already been deployed with similar market stores at several establishments in Calgary and Toronto like Toronto Pearson Airport, Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome and more.
The Gage Market is open 24/7 and fully stocked with sweet and salty snacks, gourmet hot drinks, ice cream, fresh and frozen meals, and even personal care items.
Considering it is located at the Gage Commons, you might be wondering if it is only available to students.
Well, the good thing is that it is open to the public, so you don’t need to be a UBC student to shop there – just bring your credit card.
This is UBC’s first autonomous store, but possibly not the last.
“We’ll closely monitor the performance of Gage Market and evaluate the possibility of adding additional locations to UBC’s campus in the future,” Colin Moore, UBC’s Director of Food Services shared in UBC’s news report.
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