Putting AI Shoplifting Detection to the Test

Putting AI Shoplifting Detection to the Test at Farmfoods

Can AI Help Retailers Identify Potential Theft Earlier?

Shoplifting in Scotland is now at its highest recorded level since 1971. In 2025-26, 53,369 shoplifting crimes were recorded – an increase of 19% in just one year.

For retailers, the challenge is not simply having CCTV footage available after something has happened. The greater opportunity is identifying potential theft-related activity quickly enough for store teams to review what is happening and decide whether action is needed.

Against this backdrop, Cyber Eye Systems, part of Protec FM, approached Farmfoods with an opportunity to test AI-assisted shoplifting detection within a live retail environment.

During the first quarter of 2026, the Cyberpod was deployed at a Farmfoods branch in Glasgow to assess how real-time AI alerts could help store teams identify potential risk earlier and support day-to-day security decisions.

The question was straightforward:

Could AI help make retail CCTV more proactive by detecting theft-related activity as it happens in real time?

The Farmfoods Cyberpod Trial at a Glance

Over the three-month trial:

268 AI-generated alerts
45 alerts identified for closer attention
Real-time alerts sent directly to the store team for review

The trial took place within a working Farmfoods store rather than a controlled test environment, providing practical insight into how AI-assisted detection could operate alongside normal retail activity.

The Challenge: Identifying Potential Theft as It Happens

Busy retail environments are difficult to monitor continuously.

Store teams are serving customers, replenishing shelves and dealing with the everyday demands of running the branch. Even where CCTV is already installed, expecting somebody to continuously monitor multiple camera feeds is not always realistic.

Protec FM’s Cyber Eye Systems Division proposed the trial to explore whether AI-generated alerts could provide an additional layer of support by highlighting activity that may require closer attention.

The trial focused on:

Real-time detection of potential theft-related activity
Simple deployment within a live retail environment
Mobile access to alerts
Understanding how notifications could support store awareness and response

The Solution: The AI-Enabled Cyberpod with Real-Time Alerts

Cyber Eye Systems deployed a Cyberpod configured with AI-assisted event-detection technology.

The Cyberpod deployment included:

One camera mounted to the Cyberpod
An additional ceiling-mounted camera extending the area covered
AI software analysing activity and generating real-time alerts
Mobile application access allowing store teams to review and categorise activity

The CyberPod provides more than a visible security presence. Its AI-assisted detection technology analyses activity against configured criteria, identifies behaviour that may indicate a potential theft risk and sends an alert directly to the store team for review.

Rather than expecting staff to continuously watch CCTV screens, the technology helped draw attention to potential theft-related activity that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Importantly, the AI was not making the final decision. It highlighted activity for attention, while the store team reviewed the footage, considered the circumstances and decided what action, if any, was required.

What Happened During the Trial?

Across January, February and March, the system generated 268 alerts.

Of these, 45 were identified for closer attention and seven were categorised as confirmed theft.

The number of alerts also increased as the trial progressed:

January: 66 notifications
February: 79 notifications
March: 123 notifications

The system sent alerts directly to the store team for review. The sooner potential theft-related activity is highlighted, the sooner the team can assess what is happening and decide whether intervention is appropriate.

From AI Alert to Store Review

Individual examples from the trial demonstrate how the process worked.

On 26 March, the technology highlighted activity involving two items being placed into a bag. Following review by the store team, the alert was categorised as theft.

On 19 March, another alert involving several items being placed into a bag was brought to the store team’s attention and marked for further review.

The value here was not that AI decided a theft had taken place.

It was that the technology identified activity worth reviewing and brought it directly to the store team’s attention, allowing the in-store team to decide whether action was required.

The Outcome: Successful Detection Within a Live Store

The Farmfoods deployment successfully demonstrated that the AI-enabled Cyberpod can detect potential theft-related activity and provide another layer of security awareness within a working retail environment.

During the three-month deployment, the system:

Generated 268 real-time alerts
Highlighted 45 alerts for closer attention
Recorded mutiple alerts categorised as confirmed theft
Gave store teams mobile access to review activity
Delivered real-time alerts directly to the store team for review
Demonstrated how the CyberPod’s AI-assisted detection can support store teams within a live retail environment

The successful deployment shows how the CyberPod can help store teams identify potential theft-related activity sooner and focus their attention on footage that may need reviewing.

Moving AI-Assisted Detection into Live Retail Use

The pressure facing retailers continues to increase. Alongside the 19% year-on-year rise in recorded shoplifting, Scotland’s dedicated Retail Crime Taskforce reported 3,671 shoplifting charges and detections, 807 arrests and more than 2,100 suspects identified by 23 January 2026.

For Cyber Eye Systems, introducing new security technology is about proving that it can deliver a practical benefit in a live client environment.

The Farmfoods deployment demonstrated how the Cyberpod can move beyond deterrence alone by using AI-assisted detection to support store teams in day-to-day retail operations.

AI-Assisted Retail Security from Cyber Eye Systems

Every retail environment presents different security challenges.

AI-assisted detection is not a replacement for trained staff or established security procedures. Used alongside them, it can provide an additional layer of support by highlighting potential theft-related activity sooner.

As part of Protec FM, Cyber Eye Systems combines established retail security experience with practical knowledge gained from deploying the Cyberpod’s AI-assisted detection capability in a live store.

If you’re looking at ways to reduce retail theft, strengthen your CCTV security or understand how the Cyberpod’s AI-assisted detection could support your stores, contact the Protec FM / Cyber Eye Systems team for information and guidance. The team can assess your requirements and discuss the most appropriate route for deploying the technology within your retail environment.