Walmart said it’s testing body cameras on some store employees, a move that comes after some of its locations have experienced shootings and other violent incidents.
A Walmart associate checking receipts in a store in Denton, Texas, was spotted wearing a recording device earlier this month, according to CNBC, which cited a photo shared by a shopper. Walmart on Tuesday confirmed with CBS MoneyWatch that it is piloting the use of body cameras.
“While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry. This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions,” a Walmart spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.
In 2023, there were more than 200 violent incidents at Walmart stores, according to United for Respect, a worker rights group, while in 2019, a gunman killed 23 people inside a Walmart in El Paso. Based in Bentonville, Arkansas, Walmart operates 4,700 stores and clubs across the country, and employs 1.6 million people in the U.S.
The body cameras are “for the safety and security of workers — it’s not designed for anti-theft measures,” a person close to the situation told CBS.
Walmart is not alone in looking at body cameras, with more than a third of retailers reporting having researched the option in a survey released last year by the National Retail Federation. “No retailer reported being fully operational, but 11% are either piloting or testing the solution,” according to the NRF’s findings.
“Retailers are making every effort to ensure the safety and well-being of their customers, associates and communities. The use of body cameras is still a newer technology being used in retail and individual retailers are finding how this technology best works within their environments,” David Johnston, the NRF’s vice president of asset protection and retail operations, said Tuesday.
According to the trade group’s latest study, “The Impact of Retail Theft & Violence 2024,” about 91% of those surveyed say that shoplifters are exhibiting more violence and aggression compared with 2019, “highlighting why retailers are continuously looking at measures to reduce the threat of violence,” Johnson said.
TJX, which operates TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, began outfitting security workers with police-type body cameras at some of its locations over the past year, the company said this summer.
When somebody walks in, “It’s almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they’re being videotaped,” chief financial officer John Klinger told Wall Street analysts in late May.
“We hope that these body cameras will help us de-escalate incidents, deter crime and demonstrate to our associates and customers that we take safety in our stores seriously,” a TJX spokesperson stated in June.
