As retailers confront rising shrinkage, organised retail crime and increased pressure on self-checkout systems, many traditional loss-prevention tools have reached their limits.
Rather than relying on a single deterrent, such as CCTV, staff monitoring, weight verification or mis-scan detection, Radford Retail has combined two layers of defence that work together to close the loop.
The ITAB SigmaGate and the Sesame AI sensor tracking work together as a unified approach that has transformed how retailers safeguard their profits while still delivering a positive customer experience.
What differentiates this system from other tools is the pairing of digital intelligence with physical control. If payment has not been completed, the gate does not open.
Sesame integrates directly with existing POS software to understand, in real time, the paid status of each customer.
When a customer enters the Sesame sensor zone, they are initially classified as unpaid. Once the POS confirms a successful transaction, Sesame updates their status to authorised, triggering the SigmaGate to open for the validated customer.
“By combining digital validation with a physical exit barrier, the system quietly prevents a large share of accidental walkouts—often caused by mistapped cards, insufficient funds, or customers thinking they’ve completed payment when they haven’t.”
“At the same time, Sesame detects and disrupts more deliberate behaviours, such as mimicking scans or using the self-checkout area as a shortcut to exit with concealed goods. The success of the system lies not just in preventing shrinkage but in doing so without disrupting honest shoppers,” said Ray Casey, General Manager of Radford Retail.
“Supermarkets in New Zealand are entering a period where retail crime, shrinkage, and operational pressure are rising sharply, and both Foodstuffs and Woolworths have publicly recognised the severity of the challenge.”
Casey added that the psychological effect of the physical gate is equally essential.
Self-checkout theft has flourished partly because many customers feel less observed and less accountable in that environment. Sesame and Sigma changes that dynamic. Its presence reinforces an expectation of payment verification without creating friction for honest shoppers, who experience it as a seamless, automatic exit.
Upon successfully completing your transaction, the gate opens automatically upon approach, allowing customers to leave without delay. Interventions occur only when genuinely needed, meaning honest customers will leave the store without disruption.
Retailers like Coles, Woolworths, and ASDA, are currently using the SigmaGate and Sesame system across hundreds of stores and reaping the benefits.
rc@radfordretail.com
www.radfordretail.com
