Sainsbury’s has announced the expansion of facial recognition technology in its UK stores in 2026.
Sainsbury's is set [1] to implement new technology in 5 additional stores, claiming it is part of its efforts to address crime, including anti-social behaviour and theft. The initiative [2] follows a trial that began in September 2025, when the technology was first introduced in 2 stores. Following the positive results from this trial, the supermarket plans to expand this installation in London. According to the company, the technology led to a 46% decrease in recorded incidents of theft, harm, aggression, and antisocial behaviour.
The supermarket announced plans to expand the technology to additional locations throughout the UK while emphasizing that it will continue to evaluate its performance during the broader rollout. Simon Roberts who [3] is the CEO of Sainsbury’s said in [4] an interview with The Mirror, “When colleagues in our own stores tell us they are worried about their physical safety, we have a duty to act. We also know that a safe environment for colleagues is essential to keeping customers safe too. No one should feel at risk simply going about their day. Protecting everyone who walks through our doors is fundamental to earning and keeping the public’s trust.”
The scanning of millions of shoppers' faces has raised concerns regarding privacy. Jasleen Chaggar who [5] is a legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch said, “Whilst we all want the police to tackle shoplifting, allowing Sainsbury’s to run suspicionless mass identity checks and harvests customers’ most sensitive biometric data cannot be the solution. Big Brother Watch has helped countless members of the public who were wrongly added to secret watchlists, accused of crimes without evidence, and forced to battle opaque systems to have their face removed from blacklists. “By treating shoppers like a rogue’s gallery to be monitored and surveilled, Sainsbury’s makes the UK a democratic outlier.”
In September, 2025 Sainsbury’s announced [6] that it was initiating an 8-week trial of new technology in south-east London and Bath with plans to potentially expand it across the country. The supermarket chain said the aim is to identifying shoplifters and addressing a notable rise in retail crime in recent years. However, privacy advocates have expressed concern over the initiative. The deployment of facial recognition in retail settings has drawn significant criticism, with [7] Asda facing thousands of complaints following the launch of a similar pilot programme. In an in-depth debate [8] on facial recognition being used by Sainsbury’s, Florence Freeman and Luke Mintz said, “Some other businesses already use the technology, which scans photographs of people's faces and searches for matches. But Sainsbury's is among the most high profile shops yet to deploy the technology. They say it will tackle retail theft, which has risen sharply in the UK in recent years. Others say it's an invasion of privacy. Here, four experts debate the details.”
Simon Roberts said, “We have listened to the deep concerns our colleagues and customers have and they’re right to expect us to act. The retail sector is at a crossroads, facing rising abuse, antisocial behaviour and violence. We must put safety first. We understand that facial recognition technology can raise valid questions about data and privacy. This trial and subsequent rollout is not about monitoring colleagues or our valued customers.”
However, Madeleine Stone the Senior Advocacy Officer [9] at Big Brother Watch said in a press release, “Sainsbury’s decision to trial Orwellian facial recognition technology in its shops is deeply disproportionate and chilling. Facial recognition surveillance turns shoppers into suspects, with devastating consequences for people’s lives when it inevitably makes mistakes. Sainsbury’s and Facewatch are adding customers to secret watchlists with no due process, meaning people are being falsely accused, grossly mistreated and blacklisted from shops, despite being entirely innocent. We are regularly hearing from and supporting distressed people who have been caught up in a confusing net of privatised surveillance, despite being entirely innocent. Facial recognition is dangerously out of control in the UK. Sainsbury’s should abandon this trial and the government must urgently step in to prevent the unchecked spread of this invasive technology.”