Wegmans’ facial recognition pilot program raises eyebrows

Wegmans Food Markets has launched a facial recognition pilot program at one of its New York City locations, prompting some shoppers to express concerns about privacy and pricing.

As ny.eater.com was first to report, earlier this month, a sign went up in the window of Wegmans’ Brooklyn store stating the company is testing out a facial recognition program with a small group of employees there.

Facial recognition technology identifies and verifies the identity of an individual from a digital image or video frame.

In an email to the Democrat and Chronicle, a Wegmans spokesperson said the pilot will run for 60 days and reiterated it only will involve employees who have agreed to participate.

According to the sign posted in the store window, “All related information collected of those not in our pilot will be deleted from the piloted technology.”

Asked why Wegmans is looking into facial recognition, the spokesperson said: “At Wegmans, we have a strong commitment to keeping our stores safe. One of the ways we accomplish this is by exploring and testing emerging technology that may further enhance the physical safety of our people and our customers.”

She did not explain the relationship between the technology and safety. However, one of the things the software can be used for is to identify and track known shoplifters and alert store security.

Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley shared a photo of the window sign on X/Twitter, and the reactions were largely negative.

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Wrote one user: “That’s my local Wegmans. Won’t be going there any longer; not interested in a business that goes to this invasive length with employees. Just because the tech exists doesn’t mean people/employers have to abuse it in this way. Thanks for the heads up!”

Another responded: “Many places already do this and feed it into a database. They just don’t tell you.”

The ny.eater.com story also raised questions about whether the move could usher in dynamic pricing.

Electronic or digital shelf labels, versus old-fashioned paper ones, allow stores to make rapid price adjustments and already are in use by Walmart and Kroger.

Paired with facial recognition technology, prices potentially could be changed based on the shopper or on demand, as ny.eater.com notes.

Wegmans told the website it does not use dynamic pricing and referred to its pricing policy posted on the company's website: “We match within pennies against the competition on items families use every week so you can enjoy quality, healthy food on a budget.”

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Wegmans facial recognition pilot program raises eyebrows