Some Retail Workers Are Now Wearing Body Cameras

Sure, we’ve heard of body cameras, but have you ever seen a retail worker sporting one? CBS News reported that TJ Maxx shoppers may now see store workers wearing police-type body cameras at some of their retailer’s stores.

TJX operates more than 4,900 stores which include TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. The company said it made the move to body cameras late last year as an effort to “curb” shoplifting. The initiative was disclosed during an earnings call late last month.

It’s worth mentioning that the cameras are worn specifically by the loss prevention associates, who are trained on how to use the body cameras effectively, and the footage is "only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena.”

TJX finance chief John Klinger told analysts during the earnings call, "When somebody comes in, it's sort of — it's almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they're being videotaped."

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, More than a third of retailers said they were researching body-worn cameras for workers, with 11% saying they were piloting or testing the technology. 

What retailers refer to as "shrink" or shrinkage, including theft, led to industry losses exceeding $112 billion in 2022, which accounts for 1.6% of total retail sales, up from 1.4%, or about $94 billion in losses the previous year, according to the NRF. Shrinkage also includes losses from improperly scanned merchandise, vendor fraud, and fraudulent product returns.

The NRF also highlights the issue of what it calls "organized retail crime," which involves large-scale, coordinated thefts at stores by multiple individuals. Following the pandemic, several retailers reported an increase in retail crime.

Last year, Target announced the closure of nine stores in four states due to increasing thefts and organized retail crime, which threatened the safety of employees and customers.

Most recently, Dollar Tree employed new measures to crack down on retail theft. Fox Business reported that the company plans to remove items that are frequently stolen and eliminate self-checkout options from thousands of additional stores.

As part of its plan, the company converted approximately 3,000 additional stores away from self-checkout in May, totaling 12,000 total locations that have been converted since the beginning of the year. 

A report from Forbes said to make up for losses due to theft, most retail owners have increased prices (64%) and installed security cameras (50%).