Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts, Wickes chief David Wood, and Fortnum & Mason boss Tom Athron were among the executives to sign an open letter in August calling on the government to legislate to better protect service workers.
Headline signatory Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), and her co-signatories from retail, hospitality and adjacent sectors, want the Crime and Policing Bill currently moving through Parliament to protect all public-facing workers. It includes specific legislation relating to assault of retail workers, but the ICS is calling for it to go further to deter crime in all service sectors.
Why the clamour now? ICS data from January shows 42% of customer service staff across every sector experienced abuse in the prior six months, up 19% compared to a similar study the institute published in March 2024.
Some 37% of workers surveyed said they had considered leaving their role due to hostility, and a quarter of them have taken sick leave as a result. It’s not just a problem with personal consequences, it’s a business continuity issue as well.
And the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported in March nearly a quarter of UK consumers had witnessed shoplifting taking place in the previous 12 months, and 23% of customers had experienced physical or verbal abuse of staff, with some incidents involving weapons.
BRC’s annual crime survey, released in January, showed retail crime resulted in record losses of £2.2bn in 2024, with the 2,000-plus incidents of violence and abuse more than three times the level recorded in 2020.
Action – be it from central government, local authorities or the police – is required. In many circumstances, retailers themselves are taking matters into their own hands and deploying new technology in the name of protecting their workers and premises.
Body-worn tech
Staff at H&M, Tesco and EE are among the retailers offering their staff the opportunity to don cameras as they work as a deterrent for criminals. In July, H&M said it was using the technology. Computer Weekly contacted the retailer to check on the results to date, but it is still in pilot stage and there are no learnings to report yet.
A spokesperson for H&M says: “We’re testing body-worn cameras in a three-store pilot to assess what beneficial impact it may have, along with staff customer service training, on de-escalating and reducing incidents for the safety of both our colleagues and customers.”
In February, Motorola Solutions announced its VT100 body cameras had been distributed to employees across Poundland stores. It claimed Poundland had reported a decrease in incidents, including an 11% drop in violence against store employees and a marked reduction in shoplifting and theft since the tech was introduced.
The footage is used by Poundland’s security and loss prevention team in its investigations. The retailer uses Motorola’s digital evidence management tool to prepare, store and process video data, according to the manufacturer – and it can tag and match body camera videos with CCTV footage and other incident data.
We’re testing body-worn cameras in a three-store pilot to assess what beneficial impact it may have…on de-escalating and reducing incidents H&M spokesperson
In February, Tesco launched a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year manned security hub as a direct response to rising crime in the retail industry. The facility was unveiled at its newly refurbished security centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire, and it aims to track down criminals targeting its premises across the UK. Staff there analyse thousands of hours of CCTV footage and they share intelligence with the police.
A Tesco spokesperson tells Computer Weekly: “Our colleagues work hard to serve our customers every day, and every member of our team deserves to feel safe at work. We continue to invest in the latest technology, resources and training for our expert team in our Security Hub. This team is dedicated to joining up evidence and supporting the police to tackle crime, helping to keep our colleagues and customers safe.”
Tesco introduced body-worn cameras to store staff in 2023, and last year some delivery drivers were offered the chance to use them too. The UK’s largest retailer said the cameras are not recording all the time and will only start if the driver feels unsafe, calling it an “unlikely event” that a driver will feel the need to begin recording.
“Any footage that is taken will be stored securely and will only be used if an incident requires investigation,” the grocer says online, adding that the driver will inform people if they are to start recording.
Meanwhile, tech retailer Currys announced in May that it is working with VoCoVo to ramp up security in its stores. The manufacturer’s headsets are being introduced to Currys shops, with early feedback from staff suggesting they feel safer wearing them because they can communicate with colleagues when confronted with shoplifters as the equipment doubles up as a comms tool for general operations.
The retailer has also partnered with Auror to introduce crime reporting software into its stores. The aim of using this platform is to speed up and improve the accuracy of crime reporting, and the individual shops can share information on criminals and incidents which is then matched with data nationwide.
Mobile and broadband services retailer EE is embarking on a new store strategy in 2025, investing £3m between May 2025 and March 2026 in bricks and mortar, including opening what it terms as “experience stores” containing areas where visitors get “hands on with tech”. In August, it opened in Merry Hill near Birmingham – its third store of 2025 in the new format, following openings in Nottingham in May and Sheffield earlier in the month.
Asif Aziz, EE retail director, says security and tech to protect customers and employees is a key feature as the store estate is refreshed. “As part of our continued investment into our retail estate, we’re not only enhancing experiences for our customers, but also ensuring both they and our teams are safe,” he says.
“Our staff wear the latest body cameras, which instantly transmit footage to our monitoring teams and law enforcement. In our stores, we utilise smart tracking systems to track stolen goods and monitor them in real-time until they are recovered.
“We also employ time delay stock safes, as well as fogging and misting devices that, when triggered, instantly fill part of the store with disorienting fog and forensic marking solutions. All these security measures are helping to effectively deter and detect criminals.”
CCTV-plus
In June, frozen food retailer Iceland acknowledged it had started trialling use of facial-recognition technology in a small number of its stores, including in its The Food Warehouse shops.
“We will do anything and everything to help protect our staff and customers,” the retailer’s executive chairman Richard Walker said on LinkedIn, following a backlash which included privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch calling the move “chilling”.
“Organised and targeted retail crime is out of control. Every single week, I see the reports from our stores and read about our colleagues being abused, threatened and assaulted simply for doing their job,” Walker added.
Reflecting on the deployment of facial-recognition tech from Facewatch, he added: “I know some people will not like that – but I make zero apologies for it. If I must choose between upsetting a campaign group or protecting our colleagues from violence, I will pick our people every time.
“Let me be clear – this technology does not monitor innocent shoppers. It does not store your data. It helps trained store teams to calmly identify repeat offenders who are known to use violence or intimidation. That is it.”
Iceland estimates it could see a 30% reduction in violent incidents where the Facewatch technology is deployed. More Iceland stores will be fitted with the tech later in 2025, with retailers such as Home Bargains, Farmfoods, Sports Direct, B&M, Flannels, Spar and Morrisons Daily already using it in parts of their respective estates, according to Facewatch.
In June, Trigo Retail, the company known for its high-tech, computer vision stack which supports checkout-free stores for several retailers across Europe, announced it had started to play in the loss prevention space by offering an alternative to CCTV.
The company’s new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled platform helps retailers to track shoppers as anonymised figures, identifies which items are picked up and then cross-references these goods against what is scanned at checkout. Instant alerts are made to store security in the event of potential theft – and, like Facewatch, Trigo says it never uses, collects or stores any biometric data.
Daniel Gabay, co-founder and CEO of Trigo Retail, says: “The most effective retail security technology today isn’t about adding more barriers or locks – it’s about making existing infrastructure smarter.
“Computer vision AI essentially gives cameras a ‘brain’ to interpret what they’re seeing in real-time, providing stores with unprecedented intelligence about when and how hidden theft is happening in the store. When implemented correctly in a non-biometric way that protects shopper privacy, this technology preserves what matters most: honest shoppers should feel welcomed and trusted by their store, never embarrassed or under suspicion.”
Loyalty and the law
Iceland also announced in August its customers who alert staff when they see shoplifters in store will be eligible for a top-up reward to spend via their Bonus Card loyalty scheme.
The company is looking at all angles to protect itself including this quasi-vigilantism. Iceland customers are strongly encouraged not to directly interact with any shoplifters, but to find the nearest member of staff and alert them instead with a detailed description – and when doing so, they will be topped up with a £1 reward that can be spent in the shop immediately.
Walker called shoplifting a “plague” spreading across big cities, market towns and villages. “To combat any activity in Iceland stores, we’re encouraging our loyal customers to help sound the alarm, and if they do help to catch a shoplifter, we’ll top up their Bonus Card to spend in store,” he says.
EE’s Aziz adds: “While advanced technology is a key part of our security strategy, we also put a lot of focus on our training. We invest thousands of hours in onboarding new team members and in regular training to ensure our employees know how to handle thefts safely, quickly and effectively. We are always looking for ways to improve our processes to protect everyone who walks through our doors every day.”
There’s only so far the individual measures retailers are adopting can protect their people and their profits. Further top-down deterrents are required from policymakers, while law keepers need to dedicate resources to public-facing industry. The BRC wants processes put in place to ensure police attend all incidents of crime in retail stores and follow up as necessary.
“The government must act now to enshrine vital protections for all our service workers; without action now to create a strong deterrent, this problem will continue to grow,” Causon writes in her open letter. “These professionals form the bedrock of our society and economy. They are essential to community building, social cohesion and economic growth – let’s seize this moment to protect all public-facing workers.”
Weatherproofing. Every model needs a weatherproof rating to survive outside, so if you don’t see one, don’t buy it. There’s usually a lower rating for the control box compared to the rest of the lights, so be sure you can put that somewhere that’s a little less exposed to the elements. (As mentioned above, make sure you have an outdoor outlet, and check if there’s only one on a certain side of your home in case it limits your installation options.)
A range of installation options. You’ll want a set that comes with plenty of options for your own installation, including adhesive and drilled mounting options. What you need will vary based on your home design and materials; e.g., you’ll want adhesive for homes you can’t drill into. WIRED reviewer Kat Merck, who tested a couple different permanent lights, especially liked sets that had holders you screw onto your home that the puck-style permanent lights can slide onto.
Controls for individual lights. This should be a no-brainer, but some cheaper lights won’t give you this ability or have more roadblocks for customized control. Make sure you’ll have easy individual controls, or you might find yourself frustrated with the design results of these lights. It’s similar to design controls that you’d see on smart bulbs and smart string lights.
A great app. This goes hand in hand with the need for individual light control—a good app determines whether that and other features are accessible. Govee and Eufy, two of our favorite permanent outdoor lights we’ve tried, both have good apps that are easy to use and come with preloaded designs. These tech companies make more than just outdoor lights and make other favorite gear of ours, so they’re a good brand to trust to make a usable product and app. We also like Lepro’s more affordable lights, though the app had some extra hoops to jump through to get to controls, while Lumary’s app was a brutal experience for our tester.
Our Favorite Permanent Outdoor Lights
We’ve tested a handful of permanent lights on different homes, and have a few clear favorites. These options are all ones we recommend, provided your home exterior meets the constraints mentioned above.
Govee
Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro
This model from Govee has been one of our top picks in our smart Christmas lights review for a reason, and it’s still one of our favorite models at this price point for everything you’ll get with it. WIRED reviewer Simon Hill tested the 100-foot string that came with six sections, plus an extension code. He used adhesive and screw clips to secure the light pucks and cables, and found installation easy. This is a set that you can cut and splice, but he says that isn’t a task for the faint of heart. It has an IP67 rating, and an IP65 rating for the control box. The busy companion app has everything you could want within it: color controls, tons of Scenes (Govee’s lighting effects), scheduling abilities, and even a music sync option (though that felt a little gimmicky). There’s Matter support, and Govee can connect to Alexa and Google’s ecosystems for voice control. Simon says he’d like these lights to be closer together and the design to be a little more subtle, as you can see the cords pretty easily.
Eufy
Permanent Outdoor Lights S4
WIRED reviewer Kat Merck has tested two different sets of permanent outdoor lights on her home, and Eufy’s S4, incorporating RGB with both warm and cool whites, is by far her favorite. She’s found the app incredibly easy to navigate and find the features she wants, from preset holiday scenes (120!) and colors to schedules and brightness adjustments. There’s even an AI feature that lets you create customized light shows based on moods and scenarios. They were relatively easy to install on her home, which has nonstandard architectural features, as this set has extensions and can be cut and spliced. She says the lights aren’t quite as bright as the Lumary Max set below, but the brightness is adjustable. There’s also a radar motion sensor included, which she’s still testing. The Eufy S4 set also works with the Matter protocol, so it will work with Apple, Google, and Alexa’s smart home ecosystems. It’s got a waterproof rating of IP67 like the Govee set above.
Cync
Dynamic Effects Outdoor Smart Eave Lights
Cync, which comes from appliance maker GE, makes affordable smart bulbs and other smart lights I like, so it’s not a huge surprise that I also liked the brand’s Smart Eave Lights. They were easy to install with 3M sticky strips already installed on the individual lights, and since my eaves are out of safe reach on my townhouse, I used the lights on my balcony railing with great success. One piece of the 100-foot set (it comes with four strings, plus an extension) was the perfect length to loop around my 9-foot-long railing. The set quickly connected to the Cync app, and the power cord is nice and long to make it easy to reach wherever your power outlet is. It has a waterproof rating of IP65.
If You Can’t Install Permanent Outdoor Lights
Not every home is a good fit for these types of lights. I haven’t yet found a permanent light set that works with my home, so here’s what I’ve used instead for a similar result.
Twinkly
Strings Multicolor
These lights are photographed on a tree, but they have a weatherproof rating of IP44 (for both the lights and the power supply) to be used outside. I love how much you can customize these lights. You’ll use the app to take a photo of however you’ve set up your lights, whether that’s around the tree, around your balcony’s railing, or along the front of your house, and then you’ll be able to customize the lights and pattern based on how you arranged it. There are tons of fun light designs already in the app, and you can make your own. It’s a good option if you can only do string lights but want smart capabilities. These lights are also compatible with Amazon’s, Google’s, and Apple’s ecosystems. Twinkly also makes an icicle-style smart light string ($110), which I love using outside too; they’re currently hanging above my garage door.
More Outdoor Lights We’ve Tested
Cync Outdoor Light Strip for $154: I was really hoping this would be a good solution for outdoor lights for my balcony, but this light strip is heavy and tall, and better designed to use to line a yard versus sticking onto the side of a railing. It comes with grass stakes to line it.
Lepro’s E1 AI for $153 (50 ft): These permanent outdoor lights are completely sold out right now, but they are another more affordable option. However, they aren’t as cheap as Cync and you will have to get around the app’s AI to really get the most out of it.
Lumary Outdoor Permanent Lights Max ($260 for 105 ft.): Lumary’s lights were frustrating and limiting for our tester. The app wasn’t intuitive or easy to use, and our tester actually had to have the power box replaced after she tried to connect the lights to a different phone. She liked how bright the lights were, and the fact there’s a physical remote, but the app, power box shutdown, and installation limitations compared with other sets (no splicing ability, installation recommended from the left) make this one we’d skip. Lumary has since released an updated version of its outdoor permanent lights, the Permanent Outdoor Lights 2, which includes a completely redesigned app, including the addition of custom-scene saving, but we haven’t tested them yet.
FAQs
What Are the Cons of Permanent Christmas Lights?
The only real downside to permanent Christmas lights, or permanent outdoor lights of any kind, is the cost. These sets usually cost significantly more than a light string, even the smart ones. That’s because they’re designed to last longer on your home, and the more expensive sets allow you to cut and splice the cords to perfectly fit your home instead of dangling strings and extra lights. It’s an investment, but one you can enjoy year-round.
Are Permanent Outdoor Lights Worth It?
Yes, because you’ll install them once and be good to go with every holiday in your future: Christmas! Halloween! Your fave sports team headed to a big championship match! Your kid’s graduation (or your own)! Similar to how smart bulbs can give you so many options inside your home, the possibilities are endless and something you’ll be able to use and enjoy year-round.
How Does WIRED Test Permanent Outdoor Lights? What Happens When We’re Done Testing?
WIRED tests permanent outdoor lights on the homes of our reviewers. We’ve tested these lights on three different homes in separate areas with serious weather: Washington state, Missouri, and Scotland. We’ve also tested a set in the more mild climate of Southern California. We install these on the homes themselves and leave them up for at least a few weeks, if not months and years (depending on performance), to see how they hold up. Our picks remain on our homes for long-term testing, as these lights are supposed to be permanent, and used sets are safely disposed of.
The global wireless industry has continued its rapid expansion in the third quarter of 2025, with global 5G connections have reached 2.8 billion worldwide. And, six years after the mobile communications technology first arrived in the region, North America stands at the vanguard of the market, according to a study from 5G Americas.
In all, the analysis found that as of 15 November 2025, there were 379 commercial 5G networks deployed worldwide, including 17 in North America, alongside 707 LTE networks globally. 5G Americas said this infrastructure expansion was key to supporting skyrocketing demand for ultra-reliable, low-latency connectivity.
The study revealed that North America remains one of the world’s most technologically advanced 5G markets, achieving what the study said was “exceptionally high” adoption levels driven by strong consumer uptake and strong technological leadership, including enhanced 5G features that improve performance, efficiency and real-world network intelligence for consumers and enterprises alike.
In terms of 5G penetration, the US accounted for 341 million 5G connections against a population of 344 million – one of the highest 5G penetration rates globally. As a region, North America leads the world in 5G penetration, reaching 363 million 5G connections in Q3 2025, representing nearly 95% of the region’s population.
While Asia was market leader in absolute 5G volume – with 2 billion 5G connections currently – North America was top dog in per capita 5G adoption, significantly outperforming the global average of 36%. Globally, 4G LTE and 5G fixed wireless access accounted for 78.14 million connections at the end of Q3 2025, with a year-over-year (YoY) growth rate of 27%.
North America also continued to show strength in the internet of things (IoT), with 278 million connected cellular devices today. This figure is projected to rise to 459 million by 2030, a 65% increase that reflects growing adoption across manufacturing, logistics, utilities and consumer electronics.
Looking ahead, 5G Americas noted that non-terrestrial networks including satellite connectivity were emerging as a complementary layer to terrestrial 5G, extending coverage to remote areas, supporting resiliency during emergencies and enabling seamless service continuity across land, sea and air.
Globally, cellular IoT subscriptions are expected to reach five billion by 2030, signalling expanding enterprise and industrial uses. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a key enabler in this growth, said 5G Americas, helping operators and enterprises to automate network operations, optimise traffic in real time and unlock smarter IoT applications at scale.
North America’s 5G connections are forecast to grow to 867 million by 2030, more than doubling from current levels. This growth is said to reflect a shift toward multi-device 5G environments, supporting advanced mobility, fixed wireless access and a broad array of connected platforms.
Additionally, fixed wireless access (FWA) has emerged as a growing driver of multi-device adoption, expanding high-speed broadband choice for households and small businesses, particularly in markets where fibre deployment is limited or still underway.
“The US and North America continue to demonstrate leadership in the global 5G ecosystem. High user adoption, broad device availability and sustained investment in next-generation networks position the region at the forefront of innovation as we move to early 5G-Advanced capabilities,” said Viet Nguyen, president of 5G Americas.
“Over the next few quarters, we expect to see improved uplink performance, advanced MIMO and integrated sensing and positioning that will further expand what 5G can deliver across industry, public services and immersive experiences, while accelerating progress on the path to 6G.”
Kristin Paulin, principal analyst at Omdia, added: “North American operators continue to invest in capabilities that will support enterprise transformation and next-generation services. These efforts are creating a robust foundation for future innovation and sustained subscriber growth.”
Reflecting on 2025, the path to decarbonising technology is becoming clearer, particularly with the publication of the UK government’s Carbon Budget Delivery Plan and Industrial Strategypolicy papers.
More businesses understand the environmental impact of new technologies and there is a more concerted effort to convene capabilities to mitigate environmental consequences and improve the resilience of energy supply chains.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still the centre of the conversation, but the question remains as to how we can maximise the benefits of AI while mitigating the environmental consequences of increased dependence on the technology. This is where enabling deep tech companies to scale will be key.
As it stands, AI is responsible for 5-15% of datacentre power use and is expected to grow to 35-50% by 2030. Based on this increase, there are still challenges to solve around sustainable AI, particularly the impact of datacentres and the opportunity to leverage thermal energy to support the UK’s energy supply chain.
At Digital Catapult, we accelerate the practical application of deep tech to equip the UK to be future-ready. This includes delivering necessary interventions and programmes that ensure we take a responsible and sustainable approach to innovation, and address market gaps.
Gaps and opportunities for improvement
While research highlights environmental consequences of new technologies, gaps remain in how these consequences can be communicated to business owners, and how business leaders can in turn mitigate problems further down the line.
Many recognise the need to embrace deep tech innovation and integrate AI into their operations, but don’t yet know how to cut emissions and improve efficiency. In fact, research by Salesforce found that the most pressing challenge for sustainability professionals is a knowledge gap around AI and sustainability, while research from EY found that existing frameworks and legislation “often fall short” in guiding companies on AI-related sustainability.
This knowledge gap remains a pressing challenge for businesses, highlighting an area that must be addressed through appropriate intervention.
Business leaders are currently sitting on a breadth of opportunities to lead the way integrating and applying deep tech innovation while simultaneously decarbonising their operations. At Digital Catapult, we partner with businesses to achieve this, supporting organisations across major sectors and improving industrial supply chain resilience in the process. Research found that businesses that can effectively embrace energy-efficient solutions, leverage AI-optimised datacentres and achieve circularity in their e-waste systems, can reduce energy consumption and the costs that ensue by 40-60% without compromising on performance. This highlights the value of working creatively to solve systemic challenges while also pursuing growth.
The progress being made to drive decarbonisation
One of the best parts of my job is seeing progress across the board on AI offerings, applied by a range of innovative startups in clean energy, decarbonisation, and environmental monitoring.
These startups address a variety of innovation gaps and are helping to advance deep tech innovation that can be applied to solve a range of environmental challenges. Digital Catapult builds partnerships across the innovation ecosystem to enable deep tech companies to scale, bridging the gap between industry, government, academia and the startup community.
Through our programmes, we are seeing genuine progress being made in the application of deep tech innovation to build a future-ready UK economy, one that is built on clean energy and net zero emissions.
An interesting and cross-cutting area of decarbonisation efforts is the supply chain, with startups developing new solutions to improve UK industrial supply chain resilience across a range of sectors.
This includes startups considering how Scope 3 emissions can be tracked and monitored using AI, as well as others considering new ways to make supply chains more transparent, cut carbon emissions and reduce energy consumption and costs, informing and empowering decision-making amongst business leaders. These solutions have been underpinned by pushing the boundaries of deep tech innovation and practically applying it in industry.
The value of convening capabilities
One initiative that’s shaping conversations in the sustainability space is the AI for Decarbonisation Virtual Centre for Excellence (ADViCE). This initiative looks to develop AI offerings to support the transition to net-zero and has seen Digital Catapult, alongside Energy Systems Catapult and the Alan Turing Institute, partner for progress with over 40 policy, industry and startup thought leaders, including Octopus, SSE and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
ADViCE exists to bring together an ecosystem of AI companies, industrial adopters, policy makers and investors to support, promote, and coordinate the adoption and diffusion of AI decarbonisation applications.
A recent webinar on sustainable AI, which can be found on the ADViCE Knowledge Base, is just one example of ADViCE’s work in IT sustainability and exemplifies the range of fascinating innovations taking place in the IT sustainability community as a whole.
As we look ahead, driving decarbonisation will rely on our collective ability to close the remaining knowledge and capability gaps.
Deep tech innovation offers a powerful pathway forward, not only to reduce emissions, but to reshape how industries operate, collaborate, and innovate. By continuing to convene capabilities, accelerate practical adoption and empower businesses with the tools and understanding they need, we can ensure progress doesn’t stall. With the right interventions and partnerships, the UK is well-positioned to lead the way.
Any readers interested in learning more about the ADViCE initiative, can learn more here.
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