Sainsbury’s — the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain — has begun an eight-week pilot of facial recognition technology at two stores: one in Sydenham, Southeast London, and another in Oldfield Park, Bath. The trial, conducted in partnership with Facewatch, aims to help store staff identify and potentially bar individuals previously implicated in theft, aggression, or violent behavior. (Image: Sainsbury's)
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Sainsbury'sSainsbury’s — the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain — has begun an eight-week pilot of facial recognition technology at two stores: one in Sydenham, Southeast London, and another in Oldfield Park, Bath. The trial, conducted in partnership with Facewatch, aims to help store staff identify and potentially bar individuals previously implicated in theft, aggression, or violent behavior.
The Safety Context
Retail crime in England and Wales has surged, with shoplifting offences hitting a record high — 530,643 incidents in the year to March 2025, a 20% year-on-year increase. Sainsbury’s says these rising threats of theft, abuse, and anti-social behaviour are driving a need for stronger protective measures.
How the System Works
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The system scans customers’ faces as they enter the store and checks against a watchlist of individuals flagged for serious offences.
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If a match occurs, staff receive an alert within a minute to decide on further action.
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Non-listed individuals are not monitored further: their facial data is deleted immediately to maintain privacy.
Protecting Privacy and Data
Sainsbury’s insists the trial focuses strictly on protecting staff and shoppers, not monitoring them. Facial recognition is not used on colleagues or unflagged customers, and any unrecognized facial data is deleted instantly.
Response from Stakeholders
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Usdaw (retail workers’ union) expresses support, citing the need to protect staff, although they stress the pilot must be evidence-based.
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Privacy advocates, such as Big Brother Watch, strongly criticize the move as “deeply disproportionate and chilling,” warning of civil liberties risks, algorithmic bias, and “Orwellian” surveillance.
| Insight | Summary |
|---|---|
| Retail Crime Spike | Shoplifting in England and Wales is at its highest recorded level, prompting businesses to search for new safety measures. |
| Pilot Focus | The facial recognition trial targets repeat offenders, not general surveillance, and includes safeguards like immediate data deletion. |
| Balanced Objectives | Sainsbury’s positions the initiative as prioritising staff and customer safety in response to rising threats. |
| Data Governance | The company maintains that the trial respects privacy laws and uses human oversight to manage alerts. |
| Public and Worker Sentiment | The pilot has split reactions — cautious support from union bodies, and strong resistance from privacy groups concerned about data misuse and discrimination. |
| Potential Scale-Up | If successful, Sainsbury’s could become the largest UK grocer to adopt facial recognition in stores, intensifying the national debate on surveillance. |
Facing an escalation in shoplifting and threats to staff safety, Sainsbury’s is piloting facial recognition technology in two stores to identify repeat offenders. While designed with privacy safeguards and human oversight, the initiative has ignited controversy, praised by some retail unions as a protective measure yet condemned by privacy advocates as an excessive surveillance step.
Source: Sainsbury’s / GLO
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