Handheld scanners aimed at shoplifters stopped

CHRISTCHURCH: A rogue supermarket operator has been told by chain management to stop using airportstyle handheld scanners to check for lightfingered shoppers.

Countdown has apologised to shoppers of its Countdown Ferrymead shop in Christchurch after customers complained of the ‘‘heavyhanded’’ tactics.

Privacy law expert Kathryn Dalziel questioned its legality.

‘‘From a legal point of view, stores have got no right to insist that you stop,’’ she said.

‘‘They’ve got no right to insist that you submit to that sort of search with a scanner, so I’m just not sure on what basis any shop thinks this is a good idea, either legal or from a PR perspective.’’

Civil liberties lawyer Michael Bott congratulated Countdown for stamping out the ‘‘intrusive’’ practice.

‘‘People accept it’s justified at airports where there is a public safety concern but I fail to see it could be justified when going for your weekly shop,’’ Mr Bott said.

Concerns were raised by a shopper at Countdown Ferrymead after security staff were seen using the scanners to detect potential shoplifters at the selfservice checkouts.

After being contacted by NZME, Countdown head office ordered the shop manager to stop scanning customers.

The chain apologised to customers.

‘‘We have a numbers of ways to deter theft at our stores, however, it is not our policy to scan customers at checkouts and we don’t have equipment in our stores to do this,’’ a Countdown spokeswoman said.

She was not aware of other shops using handheld scanners.

She added theft was a reality of retail, but the company had many ways to deter shoplifters, including the use of CCTV cameras.

The Foodstuffs supermarkets group, which includes Pak’nSave, New World and Four Square, confirmed earlier this year it uses facial recognition technology in some shops to protect from serial shoplifters. — NZME