H&M deploys bodycams against increasing violence in shops

H&M has launched a pilot project using bodycams for shop employees in selected stores in the United Kingdom, to combat increasing cases of theft and even violence in shops.

Verbal and physical violence

The fashion chain is not the first to equip its employees with small cameras: Tesco and Lidl also already took similar initiatives, as staff members are increasingly confronted with verbal and physical violence. Last year, shoplifting rose by 20 %, which retailers attribute to a lack of police enforcement. Every day, retailers face 2,000 violent incidents, the British Retail Consortium states.

H&M’s pilot project is taking place in selected branches in Edinburgh and London. The body cameras should provide evidence for police investigations. A spokesperson for the fashion chain stressed to This Is Money that the pilot programme is intended to evaluate the effectiveness of body cameras. At the same time, employees will receive training to increase their safety.