- Home Depot has new cameras to identify theft at self-checkout kiosks
- Thefts have been a problem for stores in these areas
Home Depot is using a new, futuristic-sounding weapon to stop theft at its self-checkout registers.
Big-name retailers like Walmart and Dollar General are eliminating self-checkout lanes amid a rise in theft and customer complaints.
But Home Depot has a different solution: so-called “computer vision.” Simply put, it is a set of cameras monitored by computers powered by artificial intelligence.
The computer then alerts staff if there is a risk of theft.
The technology is very different to simply having security staff monitor standard CCTV cameras trained in the area.
Ann-Marie Campbell, vice president of the chain, quietly revealed the move while speaking to analysts during its recent earnings update, where Home Depot reported a drop in sales so far this year.
Home Depot has not publicly announced the move, nor has it even posted signs in stores to warn customers.
Home Depot’s Ann-Marie Campbell said ‘computer vision’ would be used to stop theft at self-checkout kiosks
“Computer vision” technology was initially developed by Home Depot to help staff keep track of stock.
Campbell said it had been so successful that they were now finding other uses for it.
“What’s really exciting is how we’re now also leveraging computer vision for other applications across the store,” he said on the May 14 call.
One was for the system to warn staff if shelves were cluttered or stock looked damaged. The other was aimed at theft, what retailers call “loss.”
‘We have also implemented this technology in our self-checkout corral to help us mitigate losses.
“Computer vision can identify complex or high-value carts and direct the cashier to assist the customer with their basket to ensure all products are scanned and accounted for.”
Home Depot’s new measure echoes a a similar one from Targetet using technology that sounds very similar.
aim The new system, called TruScan, also uses cameras and sensors to detect items that shoppers don’t scan and will notify them with audio and visual cues.
Target began implementing the cameras several months ago and will equip all of its stores in the United States with them by the end of the year.
Like Home Depot, Target only provided limited details about the move to customers; Instead, he also preferred to inform investors.
Major American retailers are reconsidering or even eliminating self-checkout systems.
DailyMail.com reported in late April how Walmart was removing them entirely from two more stores.
Self-checkout machines are especially vulnerable to theft, as thieves cannot scan the items or scan the cheaper items.
Target is rolling out new scanners to combat theft at its self-checkout machines, which will roll out to all stores by the end of the year.
Some major retailers have taken steps this year to reverse the failed self-checkout experiment. The machines were designed to reduce labor costs, but led to an increase in theft.
The measure is related to the increase in thefts at kiosks, rather than a measure to improve customer service.
In March, Dollar General announced it would completely remove self-checkout kiosks from 300 of its stores with the highest levels of shoplifting and incorrectly scanned items.
At another 9,000 locations, it said it is converting some of its self-checkouts to regular checkouts and will limit self-checkout purchases to five items or fewer at another 4,500 stores.
Kroger also added traditional checkout lanes at a store in Texas where it previously only offered self-checkout machines, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Meanwhile, Costco began placing additional staff in self-checkout areas to monitor shoppers and ensure all items are scanned correctly, as well as to ensure membership cards are not shared.