Bunnings expands store security with facial recognition technology

Hardware retailer Bunnings has announced plans to introduce facial recognition technology across its stores in New Zealand in an effort to identify repeat offenders and reduce incidents of violence against staff and customers.

According to a report by Stuff, the company said the rollout will begin in phases, starting with two stores in Hamilton, Te Rapa and Hamilton South, by mid-April. According to Bunnings, the technology will eventually be implemented in all stores nationwide.

The system is designed to alert staff when serious repeat offenders enter a store, allowing them to respond proactively. The move comes amid a rise in retail crime, with threatening incidents in stores more than doubling over the past four years.

Bunnings New Zealand general manager Melissa Haines said repeat offenders were responsible for a growing share of these incidents. “Our number one priority is keeping team and customers safe, and we believe that FRT can play an important role in helping to protect people from violence, abuse and intimidation,” Haines said, Stuff has quoted.

The company noted that repeat offenders now account for 34% of threatening incidents, up from 26% in 2022.

Bunnings said the rollout plan was developed after reviewing the findings of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner regarding an earlier facial recognition trial conducted by Foodstuffs North Island. As part of the planning process, the company consulted with a Māori sovereignty expert and incorporated tikanga Māori principles into the framework, as reported by Stuff.

The retailer also cited independent research indicating strong public support for the technology. According to the research, 93% of respondents said they would support facial recognition if it improved safety by more than 10%, while fewer than one in 10 respondents opposed its use, according to Stuff.

Bunnings said the facial recognition system would complement existing security measures already in place at stores, including body-worn cameras, security personnel, and staff training programs aimed at managing difficult situations, as reported by Stuff.