Officials earlier this month opened a “Just-Walk-Out Market” in Ames Hall, an unstaffed market that uses technology to track students’ purchases.

University spokesperson Julia Metjian said the market will operate from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. seven days a week and accept credit cards, mobile wallets, a QR code on the Amazon app and GWorld dining dollars as payment. The “Just Walk Out” market implements Amazon technology to track purchases in the unstaffed market, and students said they are excited by another food option on the Vern.

The Just-Walk-Out Market joins Pelham Commons and Buff and Brew as the dining options on the Mount Vernon Campus. Pelham is open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, with gaps between mealtimes, and Buff and Brew is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

“The market provides students living on the Vern quick access to more food options if they want to grab a bite to eat between meals,” Metjian said in an email.

To make purchases, students must tap into the space using a payment method, which will prompt the single-entry gates to open and permit students to enter the market. Students can then select the items they want from the shelves and exit the market once they’ve finished shopping, according to a sign posted at the market. The sign states that if students change their mind and put items back on the shelf, they won’t get charged.

Amazon’s model of the Just-Walk-Out technology uses a network of cameras, generative artificial intelligence systems and weight sensors to track purchases in the unstaffed market.

Aditi Khanna, a first-year student living in West Hall, said the market will be convenient for students on the Vern who find themselves having to walk or commute to get food or purchase necessities.

“It’s nice to not have to walk all the way to the CVS, like a 10-minute walk, or to go to Foggy for basic stuff,” Khanna said.

The market replaced two study rooms in Ames Hall to the right of the building’s front doors, Khanna said.

Olivia Sia, a first-year student who lives in Thurston Hall and comes to the Vern for coffee, said the new market diversifies food options on the Vern.

“There are very limited dining options, so the Vern needs all the help they can get,” Sia said.

Sia said in comparison to the Foggy Bottom Campus, where students can drop by Western Market, the University Student Center or Thurston and Shenkman dining halls, the late night options on the Vern are limited.

“If you want a late night snack, it would be really good,” Sia said.