Juan José López
Senior Key Account Manager
30 November, 2022
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As the retail industry gears up for its busiest time of the year, crime rates in stores also rise, including incidents of internal theft and human errors. This is how stores protect themselves and boost their sales with the help of CCTV.
With festive shop displays, stocked merchandise and adequate staffing, small retailers are almost ready for the Christmas season. However, they must first implement physical security measures and effective internal processes to ensure security within and around their premises.
The challenge lies in preventing losses and business disruptions without hindering shoppers, who should feel they are in a secure and comfortable environment. Furthermore, the images and data collected can be used to improve customer service and thereby increase sales.
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Security reinforcement
A study published by the specialised magazine Seguritecnia reveals that last year in Spain, losses due to external theft, internal theft and human errors totalled €1.515 billion.
CCTV systems provide additional surveillance for businesses and minimise what the industry terms as “unaccounted loss”. Visible equipment also acts as a deterrent to criminals. With the appropriate Video Management System (VMS), captured camera footage can be processed, compressed and promptly sent to an alarm receiving centre or emergency services as necessary.
Critical security areas of interest may include:
- External perimeter, parking areas and warehouse: Cameras should operate effectively in extreme conditions and low light. Alert configurations should be finely tuned to prevent false alarms. Linked to other systems, cameras can trigger a standardised response upon detecting an intruder, such as warning lights or audible alarms, supported by high-resolution image capture.
- Staff entry and exit doors: Access control systems using video surveillance as a secondary authentication method protect entries and exits, whether with or without merchandise. Similarly, video surveillance connected to automatic number plate recognition technology at shopping centre barriers can identify delivery trucks and unauthorised vehicles attempting to access the premises outside of business hours. With proper scheduling, this system could also eliminate the need for a gatehouse attendant.
- Cash registers: Integrating video cameras with point of sale (POS) terminals allows for the marking of video sequences during unusual transactions (such as refunds, cash drawer openings without a purchase, suspended or cancelled transactions, among others).
- Display units with high-value items.
Moreover, recordings of criminal incidents can serve to train employees on thief behaviour and alert staff to suspicious individuals so that appropriate action can be taken if they return to the premises. These recordings are also invaluable for legal purposes.
Increased sales
On one hand, recordings are useful for addressing potential complaints regarding product condition or issues related to customer service.
On the other hand, artificial intelligence (AI) applied to image analysis leverages historical data and real-time information from existing CCTV infrastructure. This results in an empirical approach to business evolution, facilitating:
- Seguir las promociones de cerca y adaptarlas a los resultados.
- Garantizar que no se exceda el aforo máximo de capacidad para asegurar una experiencia de compra segura y placentera.
- El análisis de las zonas más concurridas mediante mapas de calor permite colocar al personal donde más se necesite.
- El análisis de las colas permite identificar y resolver necesidades imprevistas de personal.
Las soluciones integrales de seguridad reducen el riesgo de robos y mejoran las eficiencias operativas. Los sistemas de seguridad y alarma no interconectados pueden dejar pasar detalles importantes, lo que debilita el valor de la inversión. Es uno de los motivos por los que la planificación de la seguridad debe hacerse meses antes de que empiece la temporada alta, con asesoramiento profesional y con la participación proactiva de los departamentos más importantes.
