The retailer is piloting the program at several stores in Texas.

December 18, 2024

Walmart has started giving store-level associates body cameras to wear as part of a pilot program at some of its U.S. locations, CNBC reported. 

“It’s not clear how many of Walmart’s stores have the recording devices, but some locations now have signs at entry points warning shoppers that it has ‘body-worn cameras in-use,’ according to witnesses and photos posted online,” wrote CNBC. 

Workers at multiple stores in Denton, Texas, about 40 miles north of Dallas, are testing the body cameras, reported Fox Business. 

“While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC. “This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.” 

A person familiar with the matter reportedly told Fox Business that this test is part of a more holistic safety and security program, and it is not designed specifically as an anti-theft measure. 

“However, the move comes shortly after TJX Companies—the parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods—said in June that it was equipping employees with body cameras to thwart theft,” wrote Fox. 

David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations for the National Retail Federation (NRF), said the retailers he works with have said body cameras have helped to reduce conflict because people act differently when they know they’re being recorded, especially when those cameras are directly in front of a person, per CNBC.  

Last year, the NRF’s annual security survey found that 35% of retailers said they were researching body cameras for retail employees or loss prevention staff. 

Earlier this month, NACS convened its first Loss Prevention and Safety Symposium in Dallas, featuring industry experts in asset protection, safety and loss prevention, who discussed how to navigate supporting and protecting people and stores.