Proactive Investors - Aldi, the discount supermarket chain, is joining the growing trend of offering staff body-worn cameras to help combat rising crime rates, driven by a surge in shoplifting, and provide protection for its staff, with the move being tested out in a handful of stores across the country.
Giles Hurley, Aldi UK’s chief executive officer, said: “There’s an uptick [in shoplifting] across the industry and we’re not immune to that. It is a top priority for us.
“With body cams, we currently have a trial which is underway in part of our business, exploring what benefits we can derive from that for our colleagues.”
Body cameras are part of a broader range of security measures introduced by the German retailer, with some customers also having their bags checked at checkout counters.
“Our management teams are well attuned to monitoring those and tightening them when there are localised issues. It’s something that we’re working on with and through the industry to try and drive improvements,” the Aldi UK boss added.
Introducing body-worn cameras is not the first measure taken by retailers to reduce shoplifting, with other rivals upping the number of security guards employed, while others have attempted to lure in police workers with the promise of free coffee and tea.
Both Tesco (LON:TSCO) and Morrisons have initiated trials of body cameras in response to a recent increase in in-store crimes including violent attacks against their employees.
On Monday, Aldi revealed its profits jumped by close to 200% and said it was planning to launch a £1.4 billion expansion drive into increasing the number of sites in the UK and Ireland.