Vars Technology will be showcasing its Vars Face facial recognition solution at the National Convenience Show 2025.
It is rolling out the equipment to petrol filling stations after successful initial installations with existing forecourt customers last year. Despite being used on limited sites during 2024, the Vars Face system alerted staff to the presence of watchlisted individuals 16,500 times.
A 2024 crime report from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) showed that the cost of crime adds 10p to the cost of every individual transaction in the convenience sector. Despite official figures showing a five-fold increase in incidents of shoplifting between 2023 and 2024, the ACS report indicated that this figure is still likely well below the real numbers.
In response to rising levels of theft and requests for help from forecourt customers, Vars Technology developed its Face detection system to protect retail alongside the Vars ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) equipment to guard against fuel theft. In recognition of the important role they can play in safeguarding forecourts, the two systems were awarded the Health and Safety Excellence Award at the APEA Awards in November 2024.
Individuals responsible for shoplifting or other theft, as well as violent, threatening or anti-social behaviour, can be added to the Vars Face watchlist which will then alert staff as soon as the individual re-enters the premises. The system can accurately identify individuals even when wearing face masks, caps or sunglasses, says the company.
The system also includes the option for an audio alert to be played on the shop floor, ensuring that the individual knows that they have been identified. With remaining unnoticed the main priority for many thieves, they often then leave the premises on realising that staff are fully aware of their presence, says Vars.
All incidents of theft or anti-social behaviour reported by staff are manually reviewed by the Vars team, ensuring fairness and accuracy, before being assigned a numerical value depending on the level of seriousness. This value is then used to inform the geographical area that an alert is shared over to other premises protected by the same system, with more serious violent crime being reported over a wider area. Alerts are shared more widely in rural areas than in city centres.
To find out more about Vars Face and ANPR forecourt protection visit stand T329.
The National Convenience Show takes place on April 7-9 2025, at the NEC in Birmingham.
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