The increase in shoplifting has been the downfall of several companies in the last decade. TJX believes they have the solution: Body cameras, as stated to reporters at USA Today.
TJX is the parent company of T.J.Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls, so it is safe to believe that all retail stores under TJX will implement these body cameras as another layer of security.
TJX is far from the only corporation with body-cam fever though, NBC News states that 35% of companies have begun researching body-camera technology and 11% have already begun testing it in stores. USA Today further explains that the new bodycam will be on every Loss Prevention Associate. Footage will only be obtainable by a police officer or legal representative requesting a subpoena.
The body cameras, TJX hopes, will not only decrease the amount of theft in stores but prevent escalated incidents from occurring when confronting theft, protecting more associates and customers from theft-related crimes.
Since body cameras are not necessarily new to the retail world and other companies have already begun using them, it is only a matter of time before body cameras are a common form of security in all department stores across America.
TJX does not only believe the cameras will deter theft and related crimes but also create a safer environment for associates and shoppers alike. The cameras could prove groundbreaking for the anti-theft age of retail.
Several companies have been on the hunt for a solution to the theft epidemic: “True Scan” technology, more surveillance cameras, and some questionable tactics that involve shutting down self-checkouts without the customer’s knowledge.
Body camera technology could very well prove to be the new age of anti-theft security, considering even after Target’s “True Scan” technology, a California woman still managed to steal $6,000 worth of merchandise a month following.
While some anti-theft technologies have proved incredibly beneficial, the amount of money lost to theft has caused retail giants like Walmart and Target to close several locations that experienced a dramatic spike in loss in the past year.
Likely, the corporate giants will also begin using body cameras to aid theft prevention and hopefully decrease the number of store closures across America.
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