The Retail Trust charity has teamed up with active intelligence provider for stores, SAI, to better support retail workers’ safety and wellbeing.
The move “underscores SAI’s ongoing commitment to creating safer store environments for colleagues and customers through innovation, education and cultural change,” the Trust said.
As part of its work, SAI helps retailers reduce in-store violence and staff abuse via its facial recognition technology.
Already working with the UK’s ‘big four’ grocers, as well as Iceland and OurCoop, essentially SAI’s solution blends computer vision with GenAI to turn traditional store surveillance systems into an active, operational platform for real-time intelligence.
“Funds are used to support causes and charities that champion store safety…”
In addition, SAI redistributes the earnings from its systems and sets them aside as a charitable trust. Funds are used to support causes and charities that champion store safety, spanning colleague protection and wellbeing, rehabilitation projects supporting those with addictions who turn to shoplifting, as well as wider work with policing and justice communities.
Non-profit
Helen Wilde, co-founder and chief commercial officer at SAI, said: “When we launched SAI, we knew we never wanted to profit from violence - we’d rather there was no need for this technology at all.
“But with more and more retailers coming to us to tackle the problem, we decided to ensure revenues generated from this part of the business were used to do good, and to give back.”
In addition to supporting the Retail Trust, SAI will develop new ways to use intelligence to help tackle repeat offenders.
With the top 10% of repeat retail offenders estimated to be responsible for up to 70% of total in-store crime, according to research from trade body the Retail Industry Leaders Association, its efforts will “help reduce retail loss while making stores safer spaces for colleagues and communities,” SAI added.
Wellbeing impact
Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, added: “We’re grateful for SAI’s support as we explore new ways of protecting retail workers against abuse, violence and theft and the impact this can have on their wellbeing.
“Our partnership will build on the help the Retail Trust is already providing to hundreds of retailers and people working across the industry to create happier and safer retail workplaces.”
The partnership with the Retail Trust comes as SAI prepares to launch its new Safer Stores initiative, which brings together major retailers, crime and justice bodies, rehabilitation groups and technology providers in a shared mission to improve the safety of bricks-and-mortar environments.
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