Facial Recognition in Retail

Tags: customer tracking facial recognition retail stores wifi tracking

Facial recognition is the latest buzz swirling the retail tech world. That’s right, new retail technology by NEC IT is allowing retailers to track customers who enter their store via facial recognition. Similar to the technology found in security surveillance or Google Images, it scans a patron’s face and upon a facial match sends out an alert to an employee’s mobile device on the floor with shopping history and favorite items of the customer. Various high-end hotels and stores across the globe are testing the customer service driven system on the lookout for celebrities and high-rollers entering their establishment. There are however privacy concerns with the facial recognition software, much like the in-store smartphone wifi tracking trend that we all recently heard about. It’s interesting to see where this retail technology is heading.

Next time you walk into a store, make sure to smile!