WASHINGTON — Walmart, the world's largest retailer, has started giving associates body cameras to wear as part of a pilot program at a few of its U.S. locations.
A person familiar with the program said that these body cameras are specifically for the safety of employees and not designed for anti-theft measures.
It's not clear how many stores are part of the program, but the company confirmed its being tested in just one market right now.
Fox Business reports the pilot involves multiple stores in Denton, Texas, about 40 miles from Dallas, which have reportedly posted signage letting customers know body cameras are being used. A shopper in Denton also shared a photo with CNBC that showed an associate checking receipts while wearing a yellow and black body camera earlier this month.
"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," Walmart said in a statement on Tuesday. "This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions."
A photo reportedly of Walmart body cameras in charging bays was posted on Reddit last month. The photo included instructions for how to use the camera to record "an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating."
While Walmart's body camera pilot program is focused on employee safety, it comes after another national retailer rolled out body cameras to help curb shoplifting.
TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores started having their stores' unarmed security guards wear body cameras late last year, parent company TJX revealed in an earnings call back in May. A company spokesperson said at the time that they hoped the body cameras would help de-escalate incidents, deter crime and demonstrate to our employees and customers that they take safety in stores seriously.
