Primark’s chief architect has said that the retailer is exploring how it could use AI to address retail crime-related shrinkage.

Speaking on a panel at the Retail Technology Show in London, Paul Sims said that hike in shoplifting has been “problematic” for Primark because of its impact on both stock accuracy and the company’s bottom line.

The comments come after Primark rolled out a new anti-shoplifting measure last month which sees outgoing shopping bags sealed with a bright blue sticker.

Sims went on to say that the company is looking at how technology could adapt self-checkouts so that these systems can identify when an item is “accidently not scanned”.

Primark is also looking at AI to support data-driven personalisation in order to build a picture of its customers across online and in-store.

Click and collect

Following an announcement on Tuesday that Primark is planning to roll out click and collect across Great Britain by the end of 2025, Sims said that the move has always been about driving customers to stores.

The decision follows a successful 18-month trial, with the retailer beginning to implement the service across all of its 184 stores in England, Scotland, and Wales later this year.

Sims said that an initial delay to the introduction of click and collect was because the company was worried about it affecting sales.

But he said that the benefits, including customers buying additional items when they go to pick up their order in store, have been successful enough for it to roll out the service across Great Britain.

“It’s been a great success so far,” he continued.

Despite the success of expanding its services to include click and collect, the chief architect reconfirmed the line that has been taken by Primark for many years, that home delivery is strictly not on the company’s agenda.

“It goes against the model of driving footfall to stores,” he said, suggesting that home delivery brings with it challenges like costly returns and a lack of control over recyclability of items.

The Retail Technology Show is taking place at Olympia, London on 24 and 25 April.

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