Tesco shoppers mock ‘VAR’-style cameras at self-checkout

Tesco’s introduction of AI technology to some self-checkouts has led to customers joking that it bears a striking resemblance to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology used in football.

The supermarket is aiming to reduce shoplifting by installing overhead cameras to identify when shoppers fail to scan an item properly, and then showing a live-action replay of the item not scanning.

While some shoppers mocked the tech, others complained it was a step too far, with some saying they would not use self-checkout again.

The move comes after shoplifting in the UK hit a record high in 2024.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales rose 20% last year to 516,971.

But the number of thefts recorded by retailers themselves is even higher. Figures from the British Retail Consortium suggest there were 20.4 million thefts in the year to last September, up 3.7 million on the year before, costing retailers £2bn.

Tesco said it had rolled out the technology across some of its stores in a bid to help customers using self-service checkouts to identify if an item hasn’t scanned properly.

The supermarket said it would make the checkout process “quicker and easier”.

If an item fails to scan, customers are shown a video on the self-service screen of their attempt, accompanied by a message saying “The last item wasn’t scanned properly. Remove from bagging area and try again.”

It follows a similar move by Sainsbury’s, which has rolled out AI recognition technology at self-service checkouts at some of its stores.

“We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience,” said a Sainsbury’s spokesperson.

“VAR Decision – Tuna Disallowed,” joked one commenter on a video posted on Instagram showing the technology flagging an item that had failed to scan properly, which has had more than 3.5 million views.

“Clearly off side,” added another.

But on Bluesky, a user voiced fears that the technology could open the door to more surveillance measures. “What’s next? Drones to follow… you about the store?”

On Facebook, another user said he would “not use self-checkouts” after the technology was introduced.

One Tesco worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC they were grateful for the addition of the new tech.

“I work on self-service for Tesco and feel like I double up as a security guard,” they said.

“You’re not paid very well anyway and then you have tills to look after.

“I quite often have to monitor 10 self-checkouts, on my own, whilst two staff cover manual checkouts,” they said, adding that there were many customers who steal and try to “con the system”.

Gaming developer John O’Reilly, 28, noticed the systems in his local Tesco in Woolwich in south-east London, and wonders how anyone can consent to “such deeply invasive technology”.

He says that everyone needs groceries so the number of people whose shopping can be tracked is huge.

“Are there even any rules informing customers before they enter? How on earth can the average person understand the extent of the tracking?

“Are children even kept out of the dataset? Who can access this data? Is it shared with police? Is my data being sold? We need answers to these questions!”

The move marks the latest attempt by retailers to try to stem the rise in shoplifting.

Tesco has also introduced giant trolley scales at its Gateshead store, which prompted a similarly mixed response from shoppers earlier this year.

“Am I at border control or Tesco?” asked one Reddit user.

Last week Greggs announced that it will move its self-serve food and drinks behind the counter at sites where there are high levels of theft.

And in 2023, photos circulating on social media showed supermarkets had fitted products including steaks and cheese with security tags, while coffee was replaced with dummy jars.

Additional reporting by Rozina Sini