3 Ways Body-Worn Cameras Empower Retail Employees as Customer Incivility Rises

Customer incivility was one of the less favorable — but perhaps most important — topics of conversation at the NRF Big Show in January. The frequency of difficult interactions with shoppers has led to many frontline retail workers feeling unsafe on the job. Case in point: A 2024 survey by Axonify found 40 percent of frontline retail and grocery workers noted they're scared of going to work.

Industry leaders should not be comfortable with this statistic.

The use of body-worn cameras is on the rise as one method to curb customer incivility. According to the NRF’s annual security survey, 35 percent of retailers that responded said they were researching body cameras for retail employees or loss prevention staff. Here are three ways bodycams empower frontline teams in retail.

Deterring Aggression

The presence of a body-worn camera can enhance worker safety by decreasing the likelihood of undesirable behaviors. Though U.S.-specific data is limited due to bodycams being largely still in the pilot phase in retail environments (with TJ Maxx and Walmart among early adopters), an article in Loss Prevention Magazine cited data from a U.K. grocer indicating its use of bodycams led to a significant decrease in violence against store employees.

If we were to draw a parallel to another industry use case, the same article noted a trial of bodycams in U.K. train stations with high assault rates against staff saw a 47 percent reduction in the odds of assaults against bodycam-equipped workers. That trial program even discovered residual safety benefits: It found all workers were less subject to aggressive behavior, not only those outfitted with the cameras.

Providing an Objective Record

Body-worn cameras can be a valuable tool for providing an objective and comprehensive record of interactions. They capture raw footage of an interaction, ensuring that all relevant details are accounted for. The footage also provides a neutral third-party perspective that can help to resolve disputes and provide evidence in investigations.

In law enforcement, for example, bodycams have provided evidence to exonerate officers who have been falsely accused of misconduct. They can play the same role for retail employees outfitted with the technology, providing a clear and unbiased record of an exchange and delivering context that might be missing from other accounts.

Aiding in Loss Prevention

Traditional video surveillance like CCTV has been around in retail for decades as one such tactic to deter or catch shoplifters. Yet, its limitations (think: most systems don't capture audio, it's easier to hide one's identity) are many. This is, in part, what has driven a rise in the piloting of body-worn cameras in retail.

According to a December 2024 NRF report, retailers reported a 93 percent increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 vs. 2019, and a 90 percent increase in dollar loss due to shoplifting over the same time period. As loss prevention and security leaders grapple with a challenging retail crime landscape, more have turned to body-worn cameras. And while the cameras themselves are useful in capturing footage and serving as another set of eyes on the sales floor, other features like built-in panic alerts — whereby employees can discreetly call for assistance — reassure frontline staff that they have back-up support if and when needed.

Body-worn cameras are playing an important role in enhancing safety, transparency and accountability in retail environments. As we work toward greater adoption, security and loss prevention leaders can anticipate a range of benefits, perhaps the most important of which is the safety and wellbeing of their teams.

Matt Dawes is head of enterprise solutions at HALOS, a company that offers fixed-cost body camera contracts, cutting-edge technology and cloud-based asset management to help businesses stay ahead of threats.