MCG Express

Delaware North commissioned MCG Express as Australia’s first Zippin checkout-free store, introducing a walk-in, walk-out food and beverage experience at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Customers enter, select what they want and leave, with purchases identified and processed automatically through the integrated technology.

Greater Group was engaged to develop both the store and its new brand identity. The experience needed to feel intuitive for customers encountering the technology for the first time, support the intense trading periods of an event day and establish an identity connected to Melbourne and the MCG.

Greater Group developed the brand, interior, customer journey and technical environment together. The identity draws from Melbourne after dark, with teal and purple referencing the illuminated city skyline, while concrete textures and metal cladding connect the store to the architecture of the MCG. Neon-inspired signage brings the character of Melbourne’s laneways into the space and gives MCG Express a strong presence on the concourse.

The physical store was planned around the Zippin system and the operational rhythm of event-day trading. Fixture heights and sightlines support camera tracking, glass barriers guide movement through the space, rear-loading fridges allow beverages to be replenished quickly, and a rear kitchen with a hot-shoot counter supports peak service periods. A dedicated bench and clear signage guide customers through opening beverage cans before leaving, integrating the MCG’s operational requirements directly into the customer journey.

MCG Express introduced a new food and beverage format to the MCG, bringing checkout-free technology, rapid replenishment and a purpose-built customer journey into one integrated environment. The format is designed around the pace of event day, giving customers a simple sequence from entry and selection through to exit.

The project received Silver at the 2024 Melbourne Design Awards, followed by Silver at the 2025 World Design Awards and 2025 Australian Design Awards for Interior Design, Hospitality, On the Go. It established MCG Express as both a new brand for Delaware North and Australia’s first application of Zippin technology.