TJX Companies utilizes in-store body cameras in battle against shoplifting

TJX Companies, the parent company of retail chains TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, has begun equipping select store staff with body cameras in an attempt to reduce shoplifting while keeping employees and customers safe.

During an earnings call last month, TJX Companies chief of finance John Klinger confirmed the retailer was using body cameras in stores. "When somebody comes in, it's sort of, it's almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they're being videotaped," said Klinger to analysts.

Over the last year, loss prevention associates, who are trained on how to use the cameras efficiently, have been using body cameras in certain stores across the company's US retail network. 

The collected footage is only shared "upon law enforcement request or in response to a subpoena," according to a report from CNN. "Body cameras are just one of the many ways that we work to support a safe store environment," said a spokesperson for TJX Companies to the news outlet. 

During the call, Klinger stressed that the company is "still highly focused on shrink," meaning it is looking to reduce lost or stolen merchandise, and noted that the company anticipates shrinkage to remain consistent compared to last year. 

Nonetheless, Klinger added that TJX Companies still had a "high focus on making sure that we balance protecting the goods with making sure that the customers can shop easily and get — and be able to buy the goods while also maintaining safety in our stores."

TJX Companies is not the only retail company investing in body cameras to curb shoplifting and theft. According to a survey of major retail chains by the National Retail Federation (NRF) last year, 35 percent of US retailers said they were researching the use of body cameras for employees.