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After confirming the use of biometric systems at its New York City stores, Wegmans is declining to say whether similar measures are in place at its lone Long Island location in Lake Grove.
The grocery chain has previously acknowledged that facial recognition is used at its Manhattan and Brooklyn stores as part of a security program. That disclosure came after signage appeared at those locations warning customers that biometric data may be collected upon entering the store.
Wegmans has since clarified that the system relies on facial recognition only and does not scan retinal data or voice prints.
What is happening at the Lake Grove location that opened last year remains unclear.
When asked directly about its Suffolk County store, Wegmans did not confirm whether facial recognition is being used.
“We put a great deal of time and thought into each store’s security program,” the company said in a statement to Greater Long Island. “For security and safety purposes, we do not get into the specific measures used at each store.”
In New York City, businesses are required by law to post signage notifying customers when biometric information is being collected. Those notices do not specify how long the data is stored, who has access to it, or whether it may be shared with third parties or law enforcement.
No such signage is posted at the Lake Grove store, and Suffolk County does not have a similar disclosure requirement.
Wegmans has said facial recognition is used only in a small number of locations deemed to have elevated security risks and is intended solely to identify individuals who have previously been flagged for misconduct.
“Like many retailers, we use cameras to help identify individuals who pose a risk to our people, customers, or operation,” the company said in an earlier statement. “This approach is solely used for keeping our stores secure and safe. We do not collect other biometric data such as retinal scans or voice prints, and we do not share facial recognition scan data with any third party.”
The company has also said images and video are retained only as long as necessary for security purposes before being disposed of.
Wegmans declined to disclose specific retention timelines, citing security concerns.
Wegmans’ full statement
At Wegmans, the safety of our customers and employees is a top priority. Like many retailers, we use cameras to help identify individuals who pose a risk to our people, customers, or operation.
In a small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk, we have deployed cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. In New York City, we comply with local requirements by posting the mandated signage to notify customers about the technology.
This technology is solely used for keeping our stores secure and safe. The system collects facial recognition data and only uses it to identify individuals who have been previously flagged for misconduct.
We do not collect other biometric data such as retinal scans or voice prints. Images and video are retained only as long as necessary for security purposes and then disposed of. For security reasons, we do not disclose the exact retention period, but it aligns with industry standards.
Persons of interest are determined by our asset protection team based on incidents occurring on our property and on a case-by-case basis, by information from law enforcement for criminal or missing persons cases.
We do not share facial recognition scan data with any third party.
We understand concerns about fairness and bias in facial recognition systems. We employ a multitude of training and safety measures to help keep people safe. Facial recognition technology serves as one investigative lead for us.
We never base our decisions on a single lead alone. Our goal is simple — to keep our stores safe and secure.
Top: The Wegmans store in Lake Grove as it appeared in February 2025. (Credit: GLI/Nick Esposito, file)
