Bunnings will introduce facial recognition technology in two Hamilton stores starting next month.
Te Rapa and Hamilton South stores will deploy the technology from mid-April, with plans for eventual rollout across all Bunnings locations nationwide.
The hardware retailer explained that the system aims to safeguard staff and customers against escalating threats from repeat offenders.
Bunnings said the rollout was shaped by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s findings from Foodstuffs North Island’s facial recognition trial. It said its approach included consultations with customers, team members, the community, and a Māori sovereignty expert, alongside incorporating tikanga Māori principles.
“We believe that FRT can play an important role in helping to protect people from violence, abuse and intimidation in our stores by repeat offenders,” Bunnings NZ general manager Melissa Haines said.
“Proceeding with FRT in NZ was not a quick decision. We’ve undertaken a thorough assessment process, with privacy, safety and community expectations at the forefront, and we are taking a phased approach to get this right.”
Foodstuffs North Island ran a facial recognition technology trial across 25 supermarkets from February to September 2024.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) investigated the trial. The inquiry, published in June 2025, concluded that the trial met Privacy Act requirements due to stringent privacy protections.
Despite capturing every shopper’s face upon entry, the OPC noted that the system’s high privacy intrusion was mitigated to acceptable levels through measures like rapid data deletion.
The trial scanned 225,972,004 faces, deleting 99.999% within one minute. It also produced 1,742 alerts—including 1,208 confirmed matches.