Woolworths confirms 500 new cameras on shelves

Woolworths have started to trial new camera technology in one of their NSW stores in the hope it will boost "product availability" for customers.

More than 500 cameras have been placed on almost every shelf in the Wetherill Park store, situated in western Sydney, and will take pictures every hour to determine if stock levels are sufficient.

The supermarket giant hopes this could be an innovative solution to cutting down on intensive and tedious labour that workers currently undertake manually, such as inventory management, receiving and filling.

"Customers of our Wetherill Park store may notice a number of new mini cameras in each aisle and on every shelf," a Woolworths spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia, confirming cameras will be located in the produce, freezer and chilled sections.

"This is expected to improve product availability throughout the day for all our customers, not just at regular intervals."

Unlike security cameras installed throughout a store, Woolworths have confirmed these new "mini cameras" will not be used for surveillance purposes.

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If a customer is inadvertently pictured during the routine image capturing they will be removed. This will allow supermarket staff to view stock levels on the shelf to determine what products need replenishing.

Signage has been hung at the entrance and throughout the Wetherill Park store to notify customers of the trial.

"We’ll listen to feedback from our Wetherill Park customers and team members over the coming months before assessing our next steps," the spokesperson said.

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