TJ Maxx shoppers can now find security workers equipped with police-style body cameras in some of the retailer's stores.
TJX, which operates TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, said it made the move late last year as part of an effort to curb theft, and executives revealed the initiative during an earnings call in end of last month.
When someone breaks in, “It's almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they're being videotaped,” CFO John Klinger told Wall Street analysts.
TJX, which operates more than 4,900 stores in nine countries, isn't the only retailer turning to cameras to deter theft. More than a third of retailers said they were investigating cameras for workers, according to a 2023 survey by the National Retail Federation, with 11 percent saying they were piloting or testing the technology.
A TJX spokesman said the retailer began using body cameras in some of its brand stores over the past year, noting that the company also implements policies and training to safeguard stores.
“Body cameras are currently used by certain loss prevention associates, who have gone through extensive training on how to use the cameras effectively in their roles,” the spokesperson said. “Video footage is only shared at the request of law enforcement or in response to a subpoena. We hope these body cameras will help us reduce incidents, deter crime, and show our associates and customers that we take take security seriously in our stores.”
What retailers call “shrinkage,” or shrinking, including theft, accounted for more than $112 billion in industry losses by 2022, accounting for 1.6 percent of total retail sales and an increase of l '1.4%, or roughly $94 billion in losses the previous year, according to the NRF. The reduction also includes losses related to improperly scanned merchandise, supplier fraud, and fraudulent product returns.
Giant Food supermarkets recently banned large bags in some of its stores are experiencing a major downsizing, while others are investing in AI-powered surveillance and similar technologies.
The NRF also points to the problem of what it calls “organized retail crime,” or large-scale coordinated shoplifting involving multiple people. Following the pandemic, several retailers reported an increase in retail crime. Target last year said it was closing nine stores in four states because increasing theft and organized retail crime threatened the safety of workers and customers.
However, measuring the scale of the problem is difficult, and legal advocates point out that even more reliable crime data is inadequate. And while some cities actually saw a jump in burglaries after the pandemic, other metros saw a decline, according to the Criminal Justice Council.
A November study by the nonpartisan think tank found that, excluding New York City, the number of U.S. 24-meter robbery incidents fell about 7 percent in the first six months of 2023 compared to the first semester of 2019.
Over that four-year period, New York saw the biggest increase in reported burglaries, up 64 percent, followed by Los Angeles (61 percent). In contrast, some cities experienced sharp declines, with incidents of this type falling by 78% and 65% in St. Petersburg, Florida, and St. Paul, Minnesota, respectively, found the group.
