Shoppers at the Wood Village Walmart in Oregon, hoping to find groceries or holiday gifts, also learned that employees could soon be wearing body cameras.

“I think if it helps with theft, then that makes sense. It wouldn’t bother me if they were wearing them,” shopper Jennifer Robinson said.

The nation’s largest retailer is currently testing the technology at one store in Texas, and it could soon be seen in Walmart stores across the Pacific Northwest.

“The retail industry continues to contend with increasing levels of shoplifting and violence, often due to the involvement of organized retail crime groups,” said David Johnston with the National Retail Federation.

Walmart is not saying much except:

“This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any long-term decision.”

CNBC reported that a company document instructs employees to “record an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating.”

Earlier this year, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls began equipping some of their workers with body cameras.

“Retailers have implemented a number of safety and security measures, including adding or increasing uniform security or law enforcement presence in stores,” Johnston added.

Many stores are also locking up products that require a clerk to open shelves.

Retailers reported a 93% increase in shoplifting incidents last year compared to before the pandemic, costing them more than $121 billion.

Back in Wood Village, Alice Bailey hopes body cameras will improve the customer experience.

“It kind of makes sense — so they can keep an eye on things because the people that are shoplifting and taking things, that’s trickling down to the people that’s actually paying for the stuff,” she said. “It’s always good to try something because everything else is not working.”