Asda Hit with Thousands of Complaints AFTER MAKING HUGE CHANGE IN STORES – ryan

The Supermarket Said the Trial is due to Rising Number of Thefts in Store and Threats of Violence Against Asda Workers

12:33, 24 APR 2025Updated 12:35, 24 APR 2025

Asda Has Reportedly Received Thouusands of Complaints Over Its New Facial Recognition Trial. The Trial, which is Taching Place in Five Grayer Manchester Stores, Involves CCTV Being Used to Scan Customer Faces Against An Internal Watchlist.

The WatchList is made of People that asda staff suspect have been involved in “Theft, Violence and/or Fraud in Asda Stores” accining to The Grocer. The People on the list may not have actually been convicted of any crime.

The trade magazine now reports that more than 5,000 Complaint emails have been sent to Asda as part of a Campaign by Big Brother Watch. Big Brother Watch’s Senior Advocacy Office Madeleine Said: “Asda is Adding Customers to A Secret Watchlist with No Due Process, Meaning People Could Be Blacklisted From Shop Despite Being Innocent.

“Facial Recognition has well-documented issing with accuracy and bias, and has already led to distrassing and embarrassing any of the innocent shoppers being publicly branded as shoplifters.”

Asda did not respond to the Grocer – Howver, when the Facial Recognition Trial Was Launched, the Supermarket Said It Was Due to Rising Number of Thefts in Store and Threats of VioENCE Against Workers. Asda Saw More than 1,400 Assaults Against Staff and Crime Last Year.

Liz Evans, Chief Commercial officer – Non -Food and Retail at Asda, Said: “The Rise in Shoplifting and Threats and Violence Against Shopworkers in Recent Years is unacceptable and as a responsible retaile we have to look at all options. Protect Our Colleagues.

“We have consistently look for new Ways to improve the Security in Our Stoles and this Trial Help USArstand if Facial Recognition Technology Can Reduce the Number of Incidents and Provide GrayOr Protection to Everybody in Our Stores.”

The facial technology in Asda Stoles is provided by a firm Called Faicetech. Home Bargains, Southern Co-op, Budgens and Costcutter use Similar Technology from Facewatch, Which Matches Faces Against a National Database Shared by Multiple Retilers.

IT COMES AFTER ASDA ANNOKUNCED PLANS to Open Doses of New Smaller Shops in High Streets and Local Communities. The supermarket is plotting to open 25 new Asda Express Storys Between June and Christmas.

TDR CAPITAL AND ISSA Brothers are to finish the expansion, which is part of a wider turnaround plan for the gross after its market Slipped from 14.8% to 12.5%. Asda’s New Chairman Allan Leighton Told the Telegraph: “Our no to fix it – but not just just to fix it. We have to budild, reset it, turn it into what it was.”

Asda is underestood to have also focused on converting forms co-op story into asda Express sites.