When you see the phrase, facial recognition you immediately think of twisting and turning your face as your phone captures your biometrics. Every inch of your mouth, eyebrows and nose so that you can open your phone easier than ever before with one quick glance. But what if this were to apply to more than just your smartphone?
If technological features continue to expand, naturally users will want to limit what they share with third parties online. You don’t always have to accept the cookies no matter how tasty they sound, they’re collating your personal data that you won’t want others knowing online.
But, what we are noticing is that even now when we shop in person in our spare time, some feel at ease as there is no tracking element, with data sharing and the overwhelming use of technology in their in person buying process. However, we have seen a rise in facial recognition being used whilst customers shop in store.
As we all measure advances in industries such as technology it is interesting to note that Sports Direct have applied this technology to 27 of their stores, scanning and cross referencing against a database for criminals. Do you think you should be able to shop without these features in place? As technology is being used for the greater good and making shopping safer. It can be seen as a catch 22 and finding a clear line between safety and privacy as the newer features are being implemented into brick and mortar stores.
Similarly, company Southern Co-op have added facial recognition cameras into their stores, but is this too much? Privacy rights group Big Brother Watch said the grocery chain has installed surveillance in 35 stores throughout the UK and claimed staff can be adding individuals to a black list without their knowledge.
For the majority, this is positive knowing that stores are putting the measures into place to protect their customers from criminals and using technology in a positive manner as a use of crime prevention. As the use of facial recognition and AI has become more prominent in the press, with police using the movement across popular shopping destinations such as Oxford Street. A perfect example of using technology for the greater good. As retailers increase the use of this throughout stores such as Tescos, Zara, Nisa and Sports Direct they are using the advances to their advantage. Do you think others will follow? With new technology such as self checkouts in retail stores from food to clothing, this is a great use of the change to be able to enrich and maximise their customer experience.
Often customers can find that due to the increased use of buying online, that when in store you can often miss the features that are offered from the comfort of your own home. It is great to understand how we can continue to encourage technology throughout retail stores to streamline experiences and buying processes to embrace and not shy away from changes. This is bridging the gap between on and offline experiences. There have been other trends that are technological, acknowledging the expansion of machine use throughout brick and mortar stores. Allowing shoppers to have a more convenient shopping experience. But would you rather be able to have a conversation and have a member of staff complete this for you?
Our takeaway from this, is that we should all grow with the times but in turn maximise our privacy when shopping on and offline. What are your thoughts on these technological changes?