Walmart reportedly testing body cameras for store employees
In a pilot, Walmart has given employees at select stores body cameras to wear at work.
Some Walmart stores have signs at entry points warning shoppers that it has “body-worn cameras in-use,” reported CNBC. While some retailers have tested body camera technology to help deter shoplifting, Walmart is piloting the technology for employee safety, the report said.
CNBC also reports that at least one employee working at a Walmart store in Denton, Texas (greater Dallas area) has been seen wearing one of the cameras.
In addition, a company document reportedly instructs employees to “record an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating” and to avoid using the devices in employee-only areas like break room and bathrooms. Following incidents recorded by the device, employees are supposed to log them into an ethics and compliance app with assistance from a coworker.
A Walmart spokesperson acknowledged the pilot to CNBC without discussing any specifics of the technology.
"(W)e are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry," the spokesperson told CNBC (read more coverage here). "This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions."
Off-price retailer The TJX Companies announced in a June 2024 earnings report that employees at select locations of its TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods banners had been wearing body cameras in an initiative to reduce in-store theft that was first launched in late 2023.
Other retailers have taken the more drastic step of closing stores that experience high levels of theft and organized retail crime. For example, in October 2023, Target shuttered nine stores across New York City, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle it said presented "fundamental challenges" to safe and successful operation due to high levels of criminal activity.
Theft poses a significant issue to retailers’ efforts to create a comfortable store environment for both employees and shoppers. A recent survey of U.S. retail workers from Motorola shows that 57% of respondents feel unsafe going into the peak holiday shopping season and 20% think body cameras would make them feel safer.
However, only 6% of respondents said they have access to body cameras on the job.
On the customer side, a recent consumer survey from Zebra reveals that 71% of respondents are concerned the stores at which they shop are experiencing high levels of theft and crime, while 78% find it annoying when products they want to purchase are locked up to prevent shoplifting.
