The six-month trial of facial recognition tech at 25 New World and PAK’nSAVE stores in North Island has reduced crime and prevented about 130 serious incidents of physical and verbal assaults.
The technology analyses shoppers’ facial features to recognise past offenders who are either being monitored or instructed to leave the premises.
Supermarkets have been adopting facial recognition technology to address shoplifting, enhance security against retail crime, and promote worker safety.
A spokesperson stated that the six-month pilot program “ends with early results showing success in reducing harm and cutting crime while respecting privacy,” and the stores that are currently using the technology will continue to do so before any further decisions are made regarding the program’s future.
“The safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers is our top priority, so avoiding an estimated 130 incidents of our people or customers being attacked or abused is a significant achievement,” Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said.
“Information is crucial, and knowing an offender is in store means the team is informed and can decide on the safest response, which half the time is simply observing.”
“Like any in-store security system, facial recognition is as much about deterrence as it is about identification. If it prevents repeat offenders from returning to stores where they’re barred and keeps our people and customers safe, it’s a worthwhile investment.”
Experts have expressed concerns regarding the possibility of bias and other challenges associated with the said facial recognition technology.
But according to Foodstuffs North Island, “teams have taken privacy considerations extremely seriously” with “the right systems, processes, and training” involved.
“Store teams have told us they feel safer, and we know from surveying customers at trial stores that 9 out of 10 don’t mind it.”
On April 2, a Rotorua woman was mistakenly labelled as a shoplifting thief at a supermarket trialling facial recognition technology. The woman presented her IDs and tried to explain to the staff that she was not the individual who had been banned but was still forced to leave.
The decision regarding the future use of the technology is pending until the final report from the independent research firm Scarlatti and a report from Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster are received.
