Facial recognition technology (FRT) is now operating in all New Zealand Bunnings retail stores, with final roll out phase completed in its South Island stores.
This reinforces its ongoing investment in protecting team members and customers from rising incidents of retail crime, violence and abuse. Majority (69%) of its team members say it has improved safety.
Threatening incidents in Bunnings stores have more than doubled over the last four years. FRT is being used alongside
a range of tools to help identify repeat, serious offenders and protect team and customers from harm.
Bunnings General Manager New Zealand, Melissa Haines, said the milestone marked an important step in responding to
the increase of retail crime.
“Every member of our team deserves to come to work knowing they’ll be safe. While most customers do the right thing, we continue to see incidents of violence, aggression and abuse that simply aren’t acceptable.
“Our team have told us that knowing FRT is in place helps them feel safer. Facial recognition technology allows us to identify people who have previously engaged in serious violent or threatening behaviour so our teams can prepare appropriately and help prevent situations from escalating.
“The completion of the rollout isn’t the end of the work for us. We’ll continue to review how the technology is operating with privacy safeguards and governance processes as part of our commitment to responsible use,” Haines said.
Bunnings commissioned independent research and conducted interviews with team members, as well as a nationally representative survey of 1,000 New Zealanders. More than nine in ten people (93%) supported FRT if it improved safety by more than 10%. Fewer than one in ten (7%) opposed it in principle.
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