Retailer Asda has embarked on a two-month trial of live facial recognition technology at five of its UK stores.
Asda grocery stores in Ashton, Chadderton, Eastlands, Harpurhey, and Trafford Park, will be part of the trial in a bid to explore how the technology can enhance the safety of both colleagues and customers.
The trial comes amid a rise in retail crime, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reporting over 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers each day, a figure that has tripled since 2020.
Asda – formerly owned by Walmart – recorded approximately 1,400 assaults on members of staff in the past year, averaging four incidents per day.
In response to these concerns, the supermarket chain said it is testing facial recognition technology as part of efforts to address retail crime.
The system, integrated into the company’s existing CCTV network, works by scanning images and comparing them against a list of individuals previously involved in criminal activity at Asda locations.
If the system detects a match, an Asda head office security team member will verify the information and provide real-time feedback to the store.
The pilot will run for two months, after which the results will be evaluated to determine whether it will be extended or implemented at additional sites.
Liz Evans, Asda’s chief commercial officer for non-food and retail, said: “The rise in shoplifting and threats and violence against shop workers in recent years is unacceptable, and as a responsible retailer, we must explore all options to reduce these offences and safeguard our colleagues.”
“We are continuously seeking ways to enhance store security, and this trial will help us assess whether facial recognition technology can reduce incidents and improve safety for everyone in our stores.”
At the end of last year, boss of supermarket chain Iceland said he would “happily” give facial recognition a trial in his stores, and Southern Co-op also trialled facial recognition in 2020.
In recent years, however, many human rights groups have urged retailers to hold back on implementing the technology.
The call came in response to a UK government scheme that wanted to expand the use of facial recognition in stores to reduce shoplifting, claiming that the Government should “tackle the root causes of shoplifting – poverty and the cost-of-living crisis.”
They added that if retailers were to implement facial recognition technology, it would undermine customers’ privacy rights and expose them to unnecessary and intimidating police surveillance as they go about their daily lives.
