SAN FRANCISCO — Focal Systems Inc., a provider of smart shelf technology for retail operations, is launching Theft Spotter, described as an AI-powered shelf-mounted camera solution that identifies and alerts retailers to specific items that have been stolen, along with the times and precise shelf locations from which they were taken in each store.
Built on Focal’s ShelfAI platform, Theft Spotter was designed to help retailers reduce shrink with less effort and more precision.
“Shrink has a real impact on margins, especially in grocery,” said Allison Johnson, customer success director for Focal Systems. “Tools like Theft Spotter help our customers understand loss patterns earlier, so they can take action before issues escalate. This technology will become an important part of how our customers protect profitability.”
Focal conducts over 40 million shelf scans per day to empower the world’s leading retailers to reduce waste, improve margins, and elevate the shopping experience at scale.
Focal Systems cites National Retail Federation data suggesting that shoplifting incidents rose an average of 18% last year and there was a 17% rise in threats or acts of violence during theft events. Dollar losses from shoplifting have climbed roughly 90% since 2019, according to the company.
Focal’s cameras detect when items disappear from shelves without a corresponding sale and distinguishes between normal purchasing, shelf work, restocking, and irregular events. When an anomaly is detected, loss prevention teams receive an alert with time and date, aisle/zone, and product/SKU details. Clients using Theft Spotter have more than doubled their theft identification rate while slashing investigative effort.
Theft Spotter connects directly into Focal Systems’ broader product suite, elevating store operations across multiple dimensions, including product availability, planogram compliance, inventory management, and worker productivity.
Visitors to NRF’s Big Show in New York next month are invited to stop by Focal’s booth (No. 1936) for more information.
