Retailers Turn to Facial Recognition as an Effective Crime-Fighting Tool
Facial Recognition Technology Gains Ground as Tool for Retail Crime Prevention

By the D&D Daily staff

As retailers face growing challenges from organized retail crime, repeat offenders, and in-store violence, many are turning to facial recognition technology as a potential solution. Supporters say the technology offers powerful tools for identifying known offenders, deterring theft, and helping prevent incidents before they escalate.

Retailers across a variety of sectors — including apparel, electronics, and convenience stores — are exploring or expanding facial recognition systems to improve situational awareness and loss prevention. The technology works by capturing biometric facial data and comparing it against watchlists of individuals previously involved in theft, fraud, or violence.

One of the most cited benefits is the ability to recognize repeat offenders the moment they enter a store. “If someone has a history of violent or disruptive behavior, facial recognition can give store staff and security teams an early alert, allowing them to take precautionary steps,” said a retail security consultant familiar with multiple large-scale deployments.

In addition to flagging known individuals, facial recognition can support investigations after incidents occur. Surveillance footage enhanced by facial matching can help law enforcement identify suspects faster and connect the dots between repeat crimes across multiple locations.

Proponents also point to a potential deterrent effect. Knowing that facial recognition is in use may dissuade some would-be offenders from targeting certain retailers. Some stores display signage informing customers of the technology to comply with transparency guidelines and to send a message that security is a priority.

As retail crime continues to evolve, facial recognition is likely to remain part of the broader conversation about how technology can help businesses stay ahead of complex threats.


Retailers Across the Pond Using Smarter Tech
UK: Retail’s new line of defence – Here's how smarter tools are helping protect teams against rising crime
Retail crime is rising at an alarming rate. There were almost 492,000 theft incidents in England and Wales in the 12 months to September last year, the highest figure since recording practices began back in 2003. And the BRC believes this figure to be grossly underestimated, since it only considers the incidents recorded by the police.

As the situation intensifies, retailers are assessing how they protect their workers and stores. Security tags and CCTV in isolation no longer suffice - today’s shop floor colleagues must be equipped with tools that are as agile and connected as the threats they face. That means investing in smarter, real-time technologies that support teams, improve incident response and help prevent crime before it escalates.

Protecting colleagues with technology

For retail colleagues, crime prevention has become a part of their daily work - and remaining vigilant against the shoplifting threat isn’t just time-consuming but leads to a sense of feeling unsafe. Leaving this issue unaddressed will likely lead to workers quitting the industry to protect their well-being. Continued reputational damage to the sector is also going to make it harder for retailers to hire and retain colleagues, creating delays in hiring when turnover occurs.

Proactive intervention is a necessity to stem the tide. Larger retailers have already incorporated security solutions, such as CCTV and security staff, into their operations to catch shoplifters in the act. Some have gone even further by bringing AI into the mix.

Recently, Asda initiated a trial of live facial recognition technology across five stores in Greater Manchester. This is incorporated directly into the CCTV framework, scanning people’s faces and checking them against a database of people who have previously committed crimes in the retailer’s stores.

But it’s also important to empower colleagues by equipping them with the right tools. With a number of different solutions connected to one central ecosystem, teams can gain confidence in their day-to-day tasks and when a difficult situation arises. retailtechinnovationhub.com


New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act - Effective June 2
What Do Employers Need To Know About New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act?
New York’s Retail Worker Safety Act, which goes into effect on June 2, 2025, is one of the most expansive workplace violence prevention laws for retailers in the U.S. Like the California Workplace Violence Prevention Act, the New York law was passed in response to growing concerns about workplace violence, including homicides and intimidating conduct.

The Retail Worker Safety Act applies to employers with 10 or more retail employees. The law defines a retail employee as one who works in a store that “sells consumer commodities at retail and is not primarily engaged in the sale of food for consumption on the premises.”

The Act further requires employers with 500 or more retail employees statewide to provide access to silent response buttons that request immediate assistance from a security officer, manager, or supervisor in case of an emergency. The silent response button requirement is the first of its kind in the U.S. for retail workers, and that section of the law goes into effect on January 1, 2027.

Covered employers must establish a workplace violence prevention policy.

It is recommended that covered employers conduct a hazard assessment at each worksite, as a one-size-fits-all approach likely won’t pass muster under the New York law. In preparing a policy, the law is clear that employers should consider and outline factors that may place retail employees at risk of workplace violence. littler.com


Hotspot for Cargo Theft
Memphis, TN: FBI targets Memphis cargo thefts to combat rising crime
The FBI task force is setting its sights on the Bluff City to help combat crime in rising cargo thefts. Memphis is known as America’s distribution center, a major hub for storing, packing, and shipping goods, but according to the FBI, it’s also a hotspot for cargo theft. Jeremy Baker, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s Memphis field office, told WREG about the problem of boxcar bandits and why he also says Memphis needs additional resources to help reduce our high homicide rate. “FBI headquarters recognizing we have a significant transportation infrastructure that converges here in Memphis with rail, FedEx, I-40, and 55 with the Mississippi River, FedEx Super Hub. And all of that, unfortunately, presents a lot of opportunities for criminals,” said Baker. Baker said that they see insiders are often the ones committing crimes in warehouses and trucking firms. He is reminding business owners and operators to be vigilant.  wreg.com


Memorial Day crime stats released by only one police department. See the data here.

Forsyth County sees a decline in violent crime; sheriff's office shares new data
 

Walmart’s ‘And’ vs. Amazon’s ‘Why’:
Which Retailer’s Philosophy Is Better for Business in 2025?
In a May 27 observational piece written by Retail TouchPoints editor Nicole Silberstein, two competing philosophies — each concisely condensed into a three-letter word — were set against each other for comparison and contrast.

The two companies in question? Walmart and Amazon, a pair of the largest retailers on Earth. Their respective philosophies, Walmart’s focus on “and” and Amazon’s emphasis on “why,” were highlighted, inviting deeper examination and evaluation of their effectiveness.

Walmart as an ‘And’ Company, Blending Perceived Counterbalancing Forces

Silberstein first quoted Walmart CEO Doug McMillon in remarks he’d made in an April 9 update concerning the company’s financial future.

“We’re an ‘and’ company: People and tech. Stores and eCommerce. Innovation and execution,” McMillon said, seemingly underscoring Walmart’s goal of blending disparate elements of each facet of its operations to achieve not only balance, but a foothold to serve each individual customer’s or client’s needs.

Amazon’s ‘Why’ Question: Fundamental to Its Continued Growth

Discussing Amazon, Silberstein cited CEO Andy Jassy’s April 10 letter to shareholders.

“Amazon is a ‘why’ company. We ask why, and why not, constantly. It helps us deconstruct problems, get to root causes, understand blockers, and unlock doors that might have previously seemed impenetrable. Amazon has an unusually high quotient of this WhyQ (let’s call it ‘YQ’), and it frames the way we think about everything that we do,” Jassy wrote at the time. retailwire.com


Toymaker Wins Lawsuit Against Trump Tariffs
Second federal court rules against Trump’s tariffs

The decision comes a day after another court ruled against the president’s use of an emergency law to justify tariffs on dozens of the United States’ largest trading partners.

A second federal court blocked the bulk of President Trump’s tariffs on Thursday, ruling he cannot claim unilateral authority to impose them by declaring emergencies over trade deficits and fentanyl.

Since February, Trump has attempted to impose tariffs by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA). The law authorizes the president to impose necessary economic sanctions during an emergency to combat an “unusual and extraordinary threat,” but a series of businesses and plaintiffs have argued the law doesn’t authorize tariffs.

The ruling from U.S District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an appointee of former President Obama who serves in the nation’s capital, comes hours after the U.S. Court of International Trade similarly blocked a series of Trump’s tariff announcements.

Thursday’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by two Illinois-based small businesses, Learning Resources and hand2mind, that manufacture educational toys mostly in China and other foreign countries. thehill.com


Tariff Whiplash Continues
Trump tariffs back on after appeals court slams brakes on trade court’s ban
A federal appeals court put the brakes Thursday on a lower court order that overturned most of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

A full 11-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit stayed the order by the Manhattan-based Court of International Trade while a White House appeal is heard.

The Court of International Trade had ruled that Trump exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by imposing a 10% flat duty rate on dozens of countries around the world — as well as 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 20% tariffs on China in response to illegal fentanyl trafficking.

The tariffs had been challenged by a dozen states and five small businesses — which the appeals panel gave until June 5 to respond to Thursday’s stay. nypost.com


Are Consumers Beginning to Feel Less Gloomy?
Consumer pessimism eases amid cooling in US-China tariff war

The share of consumers expecting a recession over the next 12 months fell in May, the Conference Board said.

Consumer pessimism about the future eased in May after a five-month gain amid a cooling in the U.S.-China tariff war, the Conference Board said Tuesday.

The Consumer Confidence Index rose by 12.3 points this month to 98, the Conference Board said. The Expectations Index — gauging consumers’ short-term view about income and the outlook for business and the labor market — also surged but remained below the level that usually signals sustained economic growth rather than a coming recession.

“The rebound was already visible before the May 12 U.S.-China trade deal but gained momentum afterwards,” Stephanie Guichard, senior economist for global indicators at the Conference Board, said in a statement, referring to a 90-day reduction in U.S. levies on China imports to 30% from 145%. Roughly half of survey results were gathered before that date. retaildive.com


Using AI to Boost Workplace Safety
Measuring Well-Being with AI to Increase Safety

AI can review patterns and predict actions before safety issues occur

Human behavior has the advantage of being alterable and is something a company can control, as opposed to many other risks companies face that they are unable to control, Huang notes. Just as there are warning signs before a machine breaks down, most supervisors notice behavior patterns and can conclude that someone is not performing at their best.

The difficult part is to move past observation to create a data set that can then be turned into actionable results. An example Huang has found at many companies is fatigue. “Fatigue occurs from factors that humans can control, such as shift schedules,” Huang says.

AI can be a tool to review schedules and link to behavior. “So if I knew that Mary has been on three-night shifts, and all of our employees, on average, after three-night shifts are much more likely to make a mistake, and they work on machinery that can be dangerous, then I'm going to do something about that.” ehstoday.com

 
Best Buy Slashes Guidance Due to Tariff Concerns

How Much Will Secondhand Sales Benefit From Trade Conflicts?