ASDA is trialling new facial recognition technology in a bid to stamp out shoplifting and track violent shoppers.
The budget supermarket has started the campaign in five Manchester stores after retail crime soared last year.
Branches in Ashton, Chadderton, Eastlands, Harpurhey and Trafford Park are implementing the new tech today.
The pushback against retail crime comes after shocking statistics suggest more than 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse against shop staff every day.
Asda claims it recorded 1,400 assaults on colleagues last year – an average of four per day.
The retailer said: “With these figures highlighting the growing threat of retail crime, Asda and other businesses are exploring new ways to combat this problem, including trialling facial recognition technology.”
By comparing images from CCTV to the database of individuals flagged, staff should be able to easily detect people who have committed in-store crimes.
When the technology finds a match, which can happen in seconds, security will be prepared to handle a situation should it arise.
The retailer continued: “The technology is integrated into Asda’s existing CCTV network and works by scanning images and comparing the results to a known list of individuals who have previously committed criminal activity on an Asda site.
“If a match is found by the automated system, in a matter of seconds a member of the Asda head office security team will conduct a check and feedback to the store in real time.”
The trial will be used for two months to check if it's accurate and suitable for the popular chain.
If it proves a success at the five Greater Manchester locations it'll either be extended or rolled out to other sites.
Liz Evans, non-food and Retail at Asda Chief Commercial Office, said: “The rise in shoplifting and threats and violence against shopworkers in recent years is unacceptable and as a responsible retailer we have to look at all options to reduce the number of offences committed in our stores and protect our colleagues.
“We consistently look for new ways to improve the security in our stores and this trial will help us understand if facial recognition technology can reduce the number of incidents and provide greater protection to everybody in our stores.”;
Supermarkets have been seen slapping extra security on a range of items including cheese, cosmetics and even Easter eggs.
With higher costs of living, inflation and continued effects from lockdown there has been a nationwide increase of shoplifting.
Stores are therefore taking extra precaution adding anti-theft devices, security officers, and CCTV.
The British Retail Consortium described the UK's shoplifting epidemic as “out of control.”
In a report released in January, they revealed that violence and abuse has skyrocketed by over 50 per cent in the past year and a shocking 340 per cent since 2020.
Levels are now at over 2,000 incidents every single day with the total £2.2 billion in losses in as a direct result of customer theft in total.
Asda is therefore taking a stand by rolling out their advanced Live Facial Recognition systems – something that over the next five years, facial recognition could replace keys, passports and tickets.
The super hi-tech security means we could ditch boarding cards and passports at airports and tickets on buses, Tubes and trains and might be implemented in homes and schools.
Our faces might even be able to help to confirm our medical records toGPsand hospital staff for added security.
HOW IT WORKS
By Jane Atkinson
FACIAL recognition will be a new phenomenon to many.
Jake Moore, Global Cyber Security adviser at ESET, says: “It is a clever piece of technology and it only needs to be pointed at your face for a second.
“By scanning the images, it uses points that will look at the distance between your eyes, ears and where your nose is.
“All of these will be unique to you. All of those different points are at different focal lengths from the camera, so it knows it is a 3D image and this is your actual face, so it cannot be used on a photograph of you.
“It can then identify the image as being uniquely you. If used against a database, this biometric analysis can immediately be compared to many millions of other images to match it as yours.
