Faced with the increase in thefts, this major retail brand will equip its supermarkets with a video surveillance system capable of detecting thieves in real time using AI.
For merchants and retailers, fraud is a real scourge. And the situation is not improving, especially with the rise in prices. Indeed, inflation is one of the causes of the increase in theft, particularly in the food sector. To deal with this, brands can install anti-theft devices and surveillance cameras, or even recruit security agents. But these techniques are not always effective…
Faced with this growing challenge and the financial losses it causes, some stores have opted for artificial intelligence to protect themselves from theft and its financial consequences. This is the case of the Groupement Les Mousquetaires (Intermarché, Netto, Bricomarché, Brico Cash, Bricorama, Roady…), which has invested in Vynamic Smart Vision technology from the automatic checkout supplier Diebold Nixdorf. The goal is to allow each member store that wishes to equip its self-checkouts with an intelligent camera powered by AI to reduce fraud.
The Farlède point of sale, in the Var, served as a pilot to test the new payment solution from Diebold Nixdorf, enriched with AI. And, obviously, the result was positive, since the entire Intermarché and Netto store network will take advantage of it.
The system is as simple as pie. Cameras, placed above the payment terminals, film customers’ hands as they scan their products. The AI then analyzes customer gestures in real time to detect possible fraud or errors, such as a can forgotten at the bottom of a bag, or an item deliberately put away without having been scanned. AI is capable of detecting the nature of products, correspondence with barcodes, hidden or concealed objects, etc.
When a problem is detected, the message “Are you sure you haven’t forgotten anything?” will then appear on the screen and prompt the customer to check if they have scanned all the items. If the problem persists, the terminal blocks and a host or cashier is alerted. All they have to do is consult the images, received in real time on their terminal, to understand the situation.
Note that before transactions, consumers are informed that they are being filmed by the cash register. The cameras therefore also have a preventive effect. In addition, this system allows cashiers and hostesses to be relieved. So this seems to be beneficial for everyone!
But is it legal? Because algorithmic video surveillance raises many issues, particularly regarding respect for the privacy of users and the exploitation of data. The subject is particularly sensitive, because it is surrounded by legal vagueness.
The company Diebold Nixdorf ensures that the privacy of customers and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are respected, because we do not see their faces, which are blurred. In addition, the videos are kept in memory for a very short time. Eventually, they should even be erased automatically.
The Vynamic Smart Vision AI platform will be marketed by April 2025 so that the Group’s stores can benefit from it. Subsequently, the company would like the AI to be able to recognize the different varieties of fruits and vegetables, in order to reduce the interventions of hosts and hostesses in the event of an error.