Iceland supermarkets make major change to checkouts that will spark controversy
The technology is being tested in two of the retailer's stores and could be rolled out further if the trials are successful
Cameras embedded into the checkout process will examine shoppers' features
Iceland is rolling out facial recognition technology at its tills in a revolutionary overhaul designed to curb theft and safeguard employees, with two branches already trialling the advanced system.
Cameras embedded into the checkout process will examine shoppers' features and cross-reference them with a database of individuals known for causing disturbances, alerting staff when there's a match. Following successful trials, Iceland might introduce this system more broadly among its locations.
Facewatch, the surveillance software, is already employed by numerous retail chains including Home Bargains, BandM, and several Frasers Group brands such as Flannels, House of Fraser, Sports Direct, and Evans Cycles.
An official from Iceland expressed: "Following a robust due diligence process, we can confirm that our facial recognition trial is now live in two stores and will expand further this year."
He continued: "This is part of our continued investment into tackling violent retail crime and protecting the safety of our colleagues and customers."
Article continues below
The early part of the year saw Iceland announce intentions to inaugurate 20 additional Iceland and Food Warehouse shops, along with the introduction of a grand new £100 million distribution hub occupying 500,000 square feet in Warrington.
This large distribution centre located at Omega Park Site in Warrington began operations with GXO as a partner in February, providing goods to around 350 Iceland outlets throughout Wales, the north west of England, and the Scottish borders.
In December, Iceland introduced an initiative to support the senior community by offering a 10% discount every Tuesday to those aged over 60 at both Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores, with no minimum spend required. Customers can avail of the discount by showing a valid form of identification such as a senior bus pass, driving licence, senior railcard, or freedom pass.
Article continues below
Iceland's managing director, Richard Walker, expressed his contentment with the success of the scheme: "We are so pleased with how well the over-60s discount has been received by the public and love hearing stories from customers who are benefiting from the discount."
He further commented on the ongoing financial challenges: "The cost of living crisis continues to cause distress in the everyday lives of these customers and that's why we want to keep doing what we can to support them."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Notting Hill face-recognition technology will be used without bias
In a letter to the commissioner, 11 groups had said the technology is a 'mass surveillance tool that treats all carnival-goers as potential suspects' and has 'no place at one of London's biggest cultural celebrations'. It also said that LFR technology was 'less accurate for women and people of colour' in certain settings. Responding to the concerns, Sir Mark said the technology will help locate any dangerous individuals attending Notting Hill carnival over the August bank holiday weekend. He wrote that when the technology was used at the carnival in 2016 and 2017, it 'did not build public confidence', but has since 'significantly improved' and now performs to a 'much higher standard'. Sir Mark acknowledged concerns about bias in facial recognition technology, adding that the force has selected the algorithm it uses 'with care' and knows how to use it in a non-discriminatory way. It comes after the letter, signed by groups including Liberty and Big Brother Watch, said there is 'no clear legal basis' for Scotland Yard's use of LFR. The letter added: 'Notting Hill Carnival is an event that specifically celebrates the British African Caribbean community, yet the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) is choosing to use a technology with a well-documented history of inaccurate outcomes and racial bias.' Rebecca Vincent, interim director at Big Brother Watch, said she is 'deeply disappointed' that the Met 'has chosen to dig its heels in' after the call to scrap the 'Orwellian' technology. She added: 'We all want criminals off the streets, but turning (the) carnival into a mass police line-up is not the way to do it.' About 7,000 officers and staff will be deployed each day over the weekend. LFR cameras will be used by police at the carnival to search for people who are marked as being wanted on the police national computer. Meanwhile, a UK retail facial recognition system has reported its highest-ever monthly total of suspect alerts, its operators say. In July 2025, Facewatch sent 43,602 alerts to subscriber retail stores – the equivalent of more than 10,000 suspects flagged every week for the first time and a 134.8% increase compared to July 2024 (18,564). Over the 12 months to July 31, Facewatch said it recorded 407,771 alerts in total, with current live data already showing the rising trend continuing into August. Nick Fisher, chief executive of Facewatch, said: 'July's record numbers are a further stark warning that retailers and their employees are facing unprecedented levels of criminal activity, including violent and aggressive behaviour.' A spokeswoman for Big Brother Watch said: 'This technology turns shoppers into walking barcodes and makes us a nation of suspects, with devastating consequences for people's lives when it inevitably makes mistakes.'
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Rare UK coin with Queen's portrait to enter circulation for last time – and it could be worth 95 times its face value
Plus, we share how you can spot a rare coin ALL CHANGE Rare UK coin with Queen's portrait to enter circulation for last time – and it could be worth 95 times its face value THE final batch of £1 coins featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II's portrait will enter circulation for the last time - and they could be worth a pretty penny. More than 23million of the coins are being released today, Wednesday August 20 by the Royal Mint has said. 1 The £1 are entering circulation That means you could spot one in your change in the coming weeks. These pieces will be the final ones bearing Elizabeth II's portrait to enter circulation. Plus, the Royal Mint said these coins dated 2022, are the rarest £1 coins in active circulation. If you are keen to spot the coin, there are a few details you can spot. The front, or heads side, of the coin features a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth and the date 2022. While the reverse, or tails side, features an image of a crown with an English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh leek and Northern Irish shamrock. The coin joins a raft of other rare £1 pieces, including the 2011 Edinburgh City coin that has sold for 95 times its face value. These coins have a mintage of just 935,000, making it a rare find. Back in June, the coin sold for £23 on eBay after 21 bids. The coin was part of a series depicting the four capital cities of the UK and is the only £1 coin with a mintage below one million. Five 50ps that could earn you thousands In comparison, a recent bidder paid £7.53 for one of the coins after fighting off bids from five others. But coins are only worth what sellers are willing to pay for them. So another piece may sell for a higher or lower price later down the line. It comes as the official maker of UK coins is also set to release 7.5 million new King Charles III £1 coins. The 50p and £1 are the only denominations with Charles's portrait to have entered circulation so far. The King's £1 coins feature an intricate bee design on the reverse and are part of the Definitive collection, inspired by the flora and fauna of the British Isles. Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: 'This release represents a pivotal moment in British coinage history. 'As we release more of the King Charles III £1 coins into circulation alongside the final coins of Queen Elizabeth II, we're witnessing the physical representation of our monarchy's transition." She added: "This dual release creates an exceptional opportunity for both seasoned numismatists and those new to coin collecting.' 'Finding these new coins in your change could spark a rewarding hobby that connects you with the heritage, history and craftsmanship behind British currency.' And that is not the only rare coin that collectors are keen to get their hands on. The Kew Gardens 50p recently fetched £205 on eBay after 29 buyers battled it out for the piece. Other rare coins to keep an eye out for are the Atlantic Salmon 50p, How to spot rare coins and banknotes Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds. If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value. You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers. These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch's face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note. Also, if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky, you could cash in thousands. For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes. You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick "completed and sold items" and filter by the highest value. This will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes. But bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.
Press and Journal
3 hours ago
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin makes Europa League play-off homegrown player admission
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin admits he could go into the Europa League play-offs without Uefa's required quota of homegrown players. The Dons face Romanian club FCSB in the play-offs with the first leg at Pittodrie on Thursday. The hom grown rule states a squad competing in Uefa competition must include a minimum of eight 'locally trained' players in their 25-man squad list. Uefa's criteria is split into two sub-categories: club-trained and association-trained, with clubs required to have four of each. The club-trained players must have been at a club for at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21. Association-trained players must have been at another Scottish club for the same period – three years from 15 to 21. At present, Aberdeen have one club-trained player in Jack Milne, with two association-trained in captain Graeme Shinnie and Nicky Devlin. Uefa rules dictate if a club have fewer than eight players in both sub-categories, the overall squad limit of 25 must be reduced accordingly. That could lead to Thelin being forced to leave out some experienced players for the clash against FCSB. The deadline to register players for the Europa League play-offs is 11pm on Friday (August 15). However, there is scope to add a further two new signings by 11pm on the day before the play-off first leg. Aberdeen have agreed a deal to sign striker Marko Lazetic from Italian giants AC Milan, but the process has been delayed due to VISA red tape. Asked if he will not be able to meet the Scottish homegrown criteria for the Europa League play-off, Thelin said: 'Right now it is (not going to be possible). 'We have one squad for the play-offs, and then for the group stage, we can change. 'So let's see what happens within the squad by the last deadline day. 'Will I have to leave some of our experienced players out? It depends -we will see how it goes with the injuries. 'It is all about that now. 'Right now, when everyone is healthy, we'll have to see what happens with movement in and out and the squad, when we are done. 'The play-off is quite close. 'We can still make changes until 24 hours before the first game, so things could still happen.' Aberdeen have agreed a free transfer for AC Milan's Serbian under-21 international Lazetic. The 21-year-old has a year left on his contract, but the Italian giants are willing to let him exit for nothing, but with a 20% sell-on clause. AC Milan initially wanted a 50% sell-on, but the Dons negotiated them down. Lazetic is poised to arrive in Aberdeen, but it has been delayed due to VISA red tape. Thelin said: 'We know the situation, that's the way it is. 'I never feel frustrated, I accept the rules. 'If things happen, they happen. 'You have to be optimistic, positive and look at the players you have, not what you don't have.' Aberdeen boss Thelin completed an eighth signing of the summer transfer window, securing winger Kenan Bilalović on a five-year contract from IFK Värnamo. The Reds splashed out a fee understood to be £550,000 for the Swedish youth international. Bilalovic will not be available for the Premier Sports Cup second round clash away to Greenock Morton on Saturday as his work permit has yet to be processed. Thelin said: 'We are working always on two parts to create value for our squad, inside our squad and Kenan is a potential player. 'It is a long contract and he will grow in our environment, so he needs some time. 'However, he has a good trait for what we need in the characteristics of the player, with his speed, technique and his directness of the game. 'Of course, he needs some time to adapt, but we have a strong belief in him for the future. 'Kenan is waiting for his VISA, so he is not available yet.' Defenders Mats Knoester, Kristers Tobers and summer signing Emmanuel Gyamfi are all ruled out of the trip to Morton due to injury. Aberdeen's clash at Morton is the first cup match since winning the Scottish Cup with a penalty shoot-out triumph against Celtic at Hampden in May. Thelin will not underestimate the threat of the Championship side. He said: 'You always have to be humble and professional when you go into this game. 'Of course, the pressure is on us, but we have to be our best, always. 'It doesn't matter in which cup or in the league. 'Everybody in Aberdeen knows that, so it's no change for us. 'We're going to prepare this game like everything else.'
