British retail giant Asda has launched a two-month trial of facial recognition technology across five Greater Manchester stores, marking an escalation in the company’s efforts to combat rising retail crime and protect staff. The trial is being implemented at locations in Ashton, Chadderton, Eastlands, Harpurhey, and Trafford Park.
The initiative comes as Asda faces mounting challenges with retail crime, which is reportedly costing the company £500 million annually. More alarmingly, the retailer says there were over 1,400 assaults against its employees in the previous year, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced security measures.
Developed in partnership with Altrincham-based crime technology consultancy FaceTech, the new system integrates with Asda’s existing CCTV network. The technology scans images and compares them against an internal database of individuals previously involved in criminal activity at Asda stores. When the system identifies a match, Asda’s head office security team conducts a verification check and provides real-time feedback to store personnel within seconds.
This implementation follows a broader trend of increasing adoption of facial recognition technology across various industries, including retail environments. The British Retail Consortium reports that incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers have tripled since 2020, now exceeding 2,000 daily occurrences.
However, the deployment has sparked privacy concerns. Civil liberties organization Big Brother Watch has publicly condemned the trial, highlighting ongoing tensions between security measures and privacy rights.
The trial follows similar initiatives by other major UK retailers, including Tesco’s launch of a high-tech security hub in February of this year. The results of Asda’s trial could significantly influence future security strategies across the retail sector.
Source: Manchester Evening News
—
March 31, 2025 – by the ID Tech Editorial Team
