Bunnings Launches Facial Recognition in North Island Stores

Bunnings New Zealand has initiated a phased nationwide rollout of facial recognition technology to combat an increase in theft and violent behavior within its retail locations.

The hardware retailer first activated the technology at two of its stores, Bunnings Te Rapa and Hamilton South, as part of a broader strategy to protect employees and customers. The company stated the system is intended to reduce theft committed by repeat offenders and address a rise in what it described as threatening incidents.

The deployment follows a series of violent encounters at various store locations across the country. According to reporting by 1News on April 15, 2026, the company shared CCTV footage documenting several such incidents to justify the security upgrade.

Recorded incidents include a man at a Bunnings in Porirua who approached staff with a knife while attempting to push two trolleys full of merchandise out of the store. In Takanini, footage showed an individual striking a Bunnings worker with a large box before fleeing the scene.

Further footage from a New Lynn location showed a man following a worker and waving his hands before charging at employees with a basket and bowling them over. In Palmerston North, a scuffle broke out on the floor as a group of customers attempted to stop an individual from pushing a trolley out of the store.

The company also highlighted a violent encounter in a Takanini carpark, where CCTV captured a hooded man punching an individual after they exited their vehicle.

Melissa Haines, the general manager of Bunnings New Zealand, framed the biometric technology as a strategic security measure.

tool that helps us address the rising problem of violent, threatening and abusive behaviour and high-value theft, identify serious repeat offenders and act early to prevent incidents

Melissa Haines, Bunnings New Zealand general manager

The implementation of facial recognition marks a shift in the company’s approach to loss prevention and staff safety. By identifying known repeat offenders, the retailer aims to intervene before incidents escalate into violence or significant financial loss.

The rollout is expected to continue in phases until the technology is available across the company’s nationwide network of stores.