Auror named Vendor of the Year at NZ Fraud Awards

Auror has been named Vendor of the Year at the New Zealand Fraud Awards in Auckland, adding a New Zealand win to recent awards in Australia and the UK.

Hosted by Retail Knowledge, the annual event brings together retailers, suppliers and other industry participants focused on fraud, retail crime prevention and loss prevention. The awards include categories recognising collaboration and service across the sector.

Award criteria

The Retail Risk Vendor of the Year Award is voted on by retailers. It recognises integrity, honesty, consistency, innovation and outstanding service to the retail community.

Auror is a retail crime intelligence company founded in New Zealand. Based in Auckland, it works with retailers and law enforcement on crime reporting, information sharing and investigations.

Auror Director of Retail Partnerships Brett Farley said the award reflected work across the wider sector.

"We share this recognition with our retail and police partners who are doing a phenomenal job across NZ to reduce retail crime," Farley said.

He also pointed to Auror's local roots.

"As a NZ-founded company that calls Auckland our home, our team relishes the opportunity to connect with so many great leaders on the innovative and impactful work they're doing to protect their stores and keep people safe," Farley said.

Farley said some relationships in the market have been long-running.

"Our team has been on the journey with some of these people for more than a decade, so it's truly humbling to be recognised by our peers for this award," he said.

He described Auror as a tool used by partners on the frontline.

"Ultimately, it's our retail and police partners that are on the frontline, using Auror as a tool to work better together, and we're proud to call them partners in this mission to reduce retail crime," he said.

Other winners

The awards also recognised policing and business collaborations. The NZ Police Retail Investigation Support Unit won the Retailer and Policing Collaboration Award. Newmarket Business Association and Axon received the Best Collaboration Award.

The Fraud Awards followed a Retail Risk event held earlier in the day, which included presentations and discussions with participants across retail and risk functions.

Technology panel

Auror hosted a panel on implementing facial recognition for crime prevention and safety in retail environments. Panellists included representatives from retailers and law firms.

One panellist said staff safety was a key priority.

"One of my main missions is to create a safe environment for team members," the panellist said.

The same speaker said incidents had fallen after deploying multiple systems.

"We've seen a consistent reduction in [crime] events over the last four months-25 per cent month-on-month-so the layered approach of facial recognition and license plate recognition is really working for us," the panellist said.

Another panellist discussed store engagement practices and the link between early interaction and the tone of subsequent encounters. They said a friendly approach at the start of a customer's shopping journey reduces aggressive interactions by up to 90 per cent. They added that facial recognition gives store teams notice and context to decide whether to respond in that way.

The discussion reflects a broader pattern across the sector, as retailers balance crime prevention with staff safety, customer experience and privacy. Suppliers and retailers have also increased their focus on how technologies are introduced, governed and explained to frontline teams.

Retailers in New Zealand, like peers in other markets, have reported sustained pressure from theft, abusive behaviour and organised retail crime. Industry forums have increasingly highlighted coordination between retailers, shopping precinct groups and police units, alongside investment in reporting processes and investigation workflows.

Auror's recognition places it alongside other organisations acknowledged for cross-sector work during the programme, as industry discussions on retail safety and crime prevention continue through Retail Risk events.