UK Supermarket Iceland Trials Facial Recognition to Combat Retail Crime

UK supermarket chain Iceland has begun piloting facial-recognition technology in two stores as part of a wider crackdown on theft and violent incidents. The rollout, first reported in trade outlets, uses systems from British vendor Facewatch to identify repeat offenders at the point of entry.

The trial is underway at stores in Bradford and Salford, with plans to expand to six locations by October 2025. Under the system, faces of shoppers are scanned and compared against a watch list of individuals linked to prior incidents. If a match occurs, store staff are alerted immediately. Images of non-matching customers are deleted at once, while watch-list data may be retained for up to 12–24 months.

Iceland said the program complies with UK privacy law, including GDPR, and is clearly signposted in stores. Facewatch stated that the platform is designed to deter repeat offenders while minimizing data retention for ordinary shoppers.

The retailer expects the technology to reduce violent incidents by around 30% and shrinkage by at least 35% over the first year. The move comes as UK retailers collectively spend nearly £1.8 billion on advanced security systems amid a surge in organized shoplifting.

A chief security officer for a major UK retail chain, speaking anonymously, told Security Guys: “Theft is no longer just about a few missing items — we’re seeing organized groups who threaten staff and return week after week. Without tools like facial recognition, we’re playing catch-up every time. This technology gives us a fighting chance to protect both our people and our stores.”

Iceland is among a growing number of UK and European retailers turning to AI-based surveillance tools to protect staff and customers, reflecting a broader shift toward technology-driven loss prevention in high-traffic commercial environments.