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Walmart aims to monitor shoppers' facial expressions

July 21, 2017

Walmart is reportedly building new technology that will help it identify unhappy consumers standing in check-out lines.

The facial recognition tool, according to a Business Insider report, will assess facial expressions and movements, and if it detects a not-so-happy consumer, it will send an alert to store associates who can then respond quick to solve whatever issue is bothering the shopper.

The tool, described by BI, is the focus of a patent filing and based on biometric data.

"It is easier to retain existing customers than acquire new ones through advertising," stated the patent filing, according to BI. "Often, if customer service is inadequate, this fact will not appear in data available to management until many customers have been lost. With so much competition, a customer will often simply go elsewhere rather than take the time to make a complaint."

"Significant drops or complete absence of customers spending ... may be identified," stated the filing.