Asda has begun testing Live Facial Recognition at five stores in Greater Manchester, as the supermarket assess how the technology might improve in-store safety for colleagues and customers.
The technology is integrated into Asda’s existing CCTV network. The automated solution scans images from the CCTV and compares the results with a known list of individuals who have previously committed criminal activity on an Asda store site.
If a match is found, the system alerts its Head Office in real-time, allowing its security teams at HQ to conduct further checks and feedback to the store in question.
The pilot comes after Asda said it experienced over 1,400 assaults against its colleagues last year, an average of four per day. This follows warnings from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) that retailers face a growing ‘epidemic’ of retail crime; it estimates there are more than 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse against shopworkers every day – a threefold increase since 2020.
“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.”
Liz Evans, Chief Commercial Officer – Non-food and Retail, Asda
“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,” Evans added.
Launching today, the pilot will run across its Ashton, Chadderton, Eastlands, Harpurhey & Trafford Park stores for the next two-months, before a decision is taken to either extend the trial or roll it out to further locations within its store estate.
Retail Rewired 
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