Lidl follows Tesco and Sainsbury's with major change to supermarkets

Lidl is making a major change in all its supermarkets to ease out the check-out process for its customers. The UK budget supermarket chain is in the process of trialling artificial intelligence-powered cameras at self-service checkouts.

It is the latest supermarket to adopt anti-theft technology - colloquially known as "supermarket VAR." In May, Tesco introduced a similar technology. Lidl, which has nearly 1,000 stores throughout the UK, is launching the use of AI surveillance systems in two of its stores in London. However, there has been no word if the system will be spread across the other stores as well, reports GB News. Sainsbury's has also rolled out AI recognition systems in select stores, joining the growing trend of retailers embracing tech-driven measures to tackle surging theft.

The system uses overhead cameras above self-checkouts to detect instances where items are not properly scanned.

Upon detecting a possible theft, the system instantly displays live footage of the missed item before permitting the customer to proceed with payment.

This high-tech monitoring approach has been informally dubbed "supermarket VAR," drawing comparisons to the video assistant referee technology used in football.

According to Lidl's latest customer privacy notice: "Some of our cameras may also use non-scan detection technologies as part of the checkout process.

"Any cameras using non-scan detection technologies are only active at our store checkouts and self-checkouts."

It adds: "Any non-scan technologies used on our checkouts and self-checkouts cameras are only used to identify non-scanned items, prevent inventory loss and will always involve human intervention.

"All facial images collected as part of our non-scan detection cameras are pixelated and no facial recognition technologies are used."

At the time it was implemented in Tesco, a spokesperson said: "We are always looking at technology to make life easier for our customers.

"We have recently installed a new system at some stores which helps customers using self-service checkouts identify if an item has not been scanned properly, making the checkout process quicker and easier."

A retail source added: "This is different to a live camera because many shoplifters assume nobody is watching.

"If your attempted theft has been clipped up and replayed to you seconds later, you know you might only have two options. One is to pay, and the other is to get caught."