UK shoppers are increasingly uncomfortable with the rise of AI on the shop floor, with the majority (59%) unhappy with retailers using it to track them in-store as part of security measures. However, a lack of awareness is almost as prominent as discomfort, with 57% of consumers completely unaware that AI-driven security is even being used.

The findings come from VoCoVo’s In-store Intelligence: AI’s Role in Retail’s Human Touch report, which surveyed both UK consumers and retail decision makers about how AI is being adopted in physical retail and highlights a range of privacy concerns among shoppers.

As colleagues face rising incidents of abuse and theft, retailers are arming their shop floors and people with new technologies to help keep them safe, including body-worn cameras. Despite this, many shoppers remain cautious. More than half (52%) say they are uncomfortable with AI-enabled CCTV and body cameras monitoring them, even when the primary purpose is staff safety.

Fears among shoppers are being reinforced by conceptions over data handling. More than half (53%) of consumers worry about how retailers store their personal data and who it is shared with.

“It is well understood that retailers and their teams are under real and sustained pressures. New and innovative technologies, like AI, are being implemented to release some of the pressure and recalibrate retail operating models. What this research shows is simple: technology must be deployed with a clear human purpose if it is to create sustainable impact and value,” said Beth Worrall, CEO at VoCoVo.

“In today’s retail store environment, AI is most effective when it helps colleagues act with speed and confidence, stay connected and informed, and deliver better service – without eroding consumer trust,” added Worrall.

The concerns come at a time when AI adoption across retail continues to accelerate, with more retailers deploying AI-powered solutions to tackle rising theft and abuse, while also improving in-store efficiency. A third (34%) of retailers have already implemented AI as part of their anti-theft strategy, with almost half (48%) planning to do so within the next 12 months.

Where AI can have the biggest impact in tackling theft includes predictive analytics for high-risk products or shopping times (33%), incident reporting and evidence collection (32%) and colleague communication and coordination with security (30%).

Beyond loss prevention, AI adoption is also growing in customer-facing use cases. Currently, just under one-in-four (23%) retailers are using AI to enhance the customer experience, with a further 70% planning implementation. Among retailers that have already adopted AI, the greatest benefits are being seen in improved product availability and stock accuracy (42%), followed by enhanced colleague productivity (40%) and more effective promotions and personalisation (32%).

Despite these advances, the research reinforces the enduring importance of human interaction in physical retail. As many as 84% of shoppers still rely on colleagues for help when shopping in-store, while 77% prefer speaking to staff rather than using technology for assistance. Notably, 40% of consumers say they would stop shopping at a store that relied entirely on self-service.