Gordon Adams, Woolworths New Zealand’s Delivery Manager for Safer Stores
Woolworths New Zealand recently announced it would be investing NZ$45 million into increasing security measures across its stores over the next three years. Gordon Adams, Woolworths New Zealand’s Delivery Manager for Safer Stores, said this would include 30 additional trolley lock systems, new self-checkout camera technology, and double entry gates in 12 stores.
In a recent report, Woolworths New Zealand detailed that there had been a 303 percent increase in physical assaults and an 806 percent rise in security incidents in the past six years for retailers. Items targeted for theft are typically more expensive.
“Our key concern driving the investments in security is the safety of our team and customers,” said Adams.
The trolley lock system that Woolworths New Zealand will introduce uses electro-magnets to lock trolley wheels at the carpark boundary. This is a system used globally by other retailers with success.
“Our new cameras will monitor checkout transactions to see whether an item was scanned correctly. If a miss-scan occurs, a short video highlights the affected product, and customers then have the opportunity to re-scan it.”
Miss scans include products left in baskets or trolleys or a selection of incorrect products on the screen.
Adams stated that Woolworths New Zealand strives to improve its security solutions and monitors continuously and learns from security solutions used globally to implement for its industry retail partners.
Woolworths New Zealand collaborates with the police and various other large retailers and community groups to discuss and address various security concerns. These collaborations allow Woolworths to apply a variety of learning to improve its overall security strategy.
Employees at ten of Woolworths New Zealand’s stores are equipped with body-worn cameras in response to the increasing violence and aggression the retailer has observed. These cameras are only turned on in instances of danger, and it has invested in team training for their appropriate use.
Adams continued that the retailer has robust processes in place to review its new and existing technologies to ensure that it is meeting its legal and privacy obligations.
“Access to the technologies and any video footage is strictly controlled and is only used for the purposes stated in our Privacy Policy.”
It also ensures that it partners with technology partners who have strict privacy and data controls in place.
Read more from the November issue of Supermarket News below:
