Pandemic accelerates demand for body worn cameras in retail

Reveal has announced 30% year-on-year growth thanks to an increase in demand from UK retailers for body worn cameras.

Reveal, which suppliers more than 40 countries globally, attributes much of its recent growth to an 80% increase in new retail customers since the beginning of the pandemic.

Recent research by retail union USDAW shows that abusive incidents towards shop workers have doubled since the onset of the pandemic, with 42% of violent incidents in stores relating to rows over face coverings.

The use of body worn cameras in retail has been shown to deter aggression by deescalating the seriousness of the incident. It is a measure many retailers are now taking to keep both their staff and customers safe amidst ongoing lockdowns in the UK.

Alasdair Field, CEO of Reveal, says: “For many, the pandemic has opened their eyes to some of the daily challenges faced by retail workers, from managing customer behaviour to enforcing new rules. Unfortunately, recent figures show incidents of violence and abuse toward staff are at the second highest ever recorded.

“If retail is to maximise its role in the post-COVID economic recovery, measures to protect staff, customers and reduce losses are going to be crucial. What we’ve learnt from many years working with the police, government and health sectors is that body worn cameras provide support, reassurance, and confidence to both staff and the public. They have been proven to reduce complaints, increase safety, limit the use of force and even increase productivity.

“In 2021 we expect the presence of body worn cameras to be more prominent, with front-facing cameras in particular being used to deescalate incidents.”