Overview

• Iceland confirmed it will extend its Facewatch-powered pilot beyond Bradford and Salford after a robust due diligence process and early positive results.
• Cameras scan entrants against a database of known offenders, send real-time alerts to staff on matches and delete non-matching images immediately.
• Facewatch’s system, already used by Home Bargains, B&M and Frasers Group, is claimed to reduce theft by at least 35% in its first year.
• Retail crime in the UK rose 23% to over 492,000 shoplifting incidents in the past year, costing stores £2.2 billion and leading to increased staff abuse.
• Privacy campaigners including Big Brother Watch describe the move as “chilling” and urge tighter rules on biometric data use in retail environments.