Ever felt like you’re being watched while tidying the shelves in Morrisons? You’re not wrong – and it’s not just the customers keeping an eye out.
In stores across the UK, Morrisons has rolled out AI-powered ‘optic’ cameras to monitor shelf stock levels. But according to staff, these cameras do far more than count tins of beans – they track how often workers are “facing up” shelves, and even score them based on performance.
“Head Office ARE spying through optic cameras! We were given a score for each bay,” one employee claimed in a Reddit post that’s caused a stir online.
More than just stock checking?
The cameras snap hourly images of every bay, uploading them to head office, where they’re used to measure how full and tidy each shelf looks. Stores are then ranked in a league table, with managers pressured to maintain 90–95% “faced-up” stock levels throughout the day.
And it’s not going unnoticed by staff.
“We thought it was to track out-of-stock items, not to monitor us constantly. Nobody told us it would be used like this.”
Others have raised concerns about workplace surveillance laws, pointing out that UK employers can’t legally monitor staff through CCTV without a clear and fair reason.
Mission: Impersonal?
Staff have compared the experience to being in a spy movie – except they’re the ones being watched.
“It’s like being in Mission: Impossible, but instead of diffusing bombs, we’re aligning baked beans.”
And while some say it’s improved stock availability, others argue the morale hit and pressure to perform constantly under surveillance isn’t worth the trade-off.
It’s not just cameras…
This isn’t Morrisons’ only foray into high-tech retail security. Earlier this year, the supermarket chain installed “RoboCop-style” security pods in some locations, designed to cut down on theft and anti-social behaviour. Shoppers, however, complained that the pods made them feel “like criminals just for buying milk”.
Are Morrisons crossing the line?
While Morrisons defends the use of AI to reduce waste and improve efficiency, staff say the line between stock control and surveillance culture is starting to blur.
Here’s the breakdown:
Pros:
- Fewer empty shelves
- Improved availability
- Theft and shrinkage prevention
Cons:
- Constant monitoring of staff
- Morale impact from performance scores
- Privacy concerns not communicated clearly
Whether it’s stopping shoplifters or making sure every tin is turned just right, one thing’s clear – the modern supermarket isn’t just watching the stock. It’s watching everyone.