A Woolworths customer recently shared her frustrations over the supermarket giant’s new security measures which utilizes advanced technology, including camera vision and artificial intelligence, to detect when items are not scanned at the self-serve registers, prompting an intense reaction on social media. If discrepancies in the items scanned and items in the trolley are detected, a message will appear on the register screen asking for assistance. The shopper voiced her frustration and how the security measure is stressful for the employees, and urged Woolworths to put staff on or trust the groceries aren’t from other shops.
The technology trial is being implemented in 250 Woolies stores across Australia, with overhead cameras taking footage of the trolley then alerts being generated if suspicious items are detected. This generated a heated response from the public on Twitter, with many sharing the shopper’s frustrations, feeling like they were treated like a thief, and claiming that the false alarms were overly stressful for employees.
Woolworths issued a statement in response, claiming that the technology is utilized to reduce misscans. They further claimed that most customers do the right thing and that the technology is one of the initiatives rolled out to make shopping more convenient.
Woolworths is an Australian supermarket chain, with over 1000 stores nationwide. It is the largest grocery retailer in Australia and the second largest in the world, behind Tesco. The grocery chain has been owned by the Australian retail conglomerate, Wesfarmers, since the acquisition in late 2020.
The shopper, who remains anonymous, has garnered a lot of attention with her post, starting a debate on the security measures enforced at Woolworths.
