“Just Walk Out” contactless payment technology is a polarizing concept—hailed by some as a game-changing brick-and-mortar shopping experience; panned by those who prefer traditional shopping.
Minot, North Dakota-based Enerbase Cooperative Resources took a chance on Amazon’s future-forward payment technology in the summer of 2024. By the end of last year, though, the model was squashed as it failed to resonate with locals who preferred traditional shopping.
At the start of 2026, Enerbase pivoted from that model back to its cashier system at its South Broadway Cenex location in Minot. That store had served as the lone unit in the network to offer this tech-enabled shopping model.
In December, store workers had been scurrying to remove hundreds of ceiling-mounted cameras to transition back to normal operations.
Justin Stevenson, Enerbase marketing manager, confirmed to CSP in late February that the South Broadway Cenex was no longer functioning as a contactless payment retail, but didn’t provide further details about when the decision was made to end the pilot or whether the 15-store chain would launch such a model in the future.
Speaking to a local news outlet in January, Stevenson said traditional shopping was “what people wanted, and we’ve seen an increase in traffic because of it.”
Prior to making the contactless shopping investment, the Minot South Broadway unit had needed refurbishing, and the state-of-the-art “Just Walk Out” shopping solution was seen as an opportunity. The Amazon customer-friendly model required only two Cenex employees to staff the inside of the store, not including the fuel island.
Enerbase created an exact 3D model of the store to map placement of the system’s cameras, and built a lobby space adjacent to the Amazon entry gate where customers paid for fuel inside, purchased age-restricted items and accessed restrooms without needing to create a contactless payment account.
An acquired taste
Enerbase, one of three parent cooperatives of Dakota Agronomy Partners, isn’t the first retailer to give Just Walk Out shopping a whirl before retrenching.
Even pioneer Amazon knew when to step back from the model: The retail giant in January said it was closing all of its high-tech Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Fresh supermarkets nationwide.
Amazon said in a blog post that it plans to instead focus on grocery delivery, its Whole Foods Market brand and a new “supersized” store concept.
“While we’ve seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven’t yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion,” the company said in the post.
Amazon noted that customers can continue to shop Amazon Fresh online in available areas for “fast and convenient delivery.” Some of the shuttered locations were to be converted to Whole Foods Markets.
Travel plaza adds beer
At Enerbase, Stevenson told CSP that the chain is focusing on pumping corporate resources into existing locations while also keeping an eye on potential acquisitions.
In December, Minot Travel Plaza debuted beer, said Stevenson. The store devotes two coolers to beer products that offer an array of 30-packs, 18-packs, 12-packs, six-packs and singles. In addition to major brewers, brands such as Pacifico and Shiner Bock are available.
Stevenson said the travel plaza has a clientele that warranted this type of investment, including customers from nearby Minot Air Force Base, located on the north side of the city of about 49,000 residents.
The Enerbase Cenex Travel Plaza also offers Hot Stuff Foods, Champs Chicken, freshly made subs, gourmet coffee—plus non-food essentials such as propane fill station, bait and tackle, hardware items, clothing, RV dump station and showers.
A small number of stores in the chain do sell beer, including Minot Corner Express, which also offers beer but no wine.
A handful of Enerbase Cenex stores are also known for their Tunnel of Suds Car Washes, where a $12 level wash includes spot-free rinse, Rain X, ceramic protection, triple coat, clear coat features, and is open 24 hours.
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