How Real-Time Video Analytics Can Help Retailers Overcome the COVID-19 Crisis
The spread of COVID-19 worldwide has dealt a blow to retail. Brick-and-mortar stores will undoubtedly struggle to regain footfall in an evolving omnichannel marketplace where retailers are balancing e-commerce, in-store and buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) shopping options. Beyond the essential functions of security monitoring and recording, video surveillance cameras offer many video analytic insights that can help retail businesses during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Before the outbreak, nearly 90 percent of shopping happened in stores while online purchases made up only about 10 percent of all industry-wide retail sales, according to the National Retail Federation. Nine of the top 10 online retailers in the U.S. also operate brick-and-mortar stores. However, this sales ratio has shifted dramatically over the last few months. After the coronavirus hit, orders placed online for pick-up at stores surged 208 percent in April as compared to a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics. Retail’s future may depend on how well brick-and-mortar stores can adjust to and coexist with their online counterparts during the ongoing pandemic.
With video analytics technology, retailers can use digital tools to quickly pivot and create a solution within the framework of their existing security system. The solution enables the integration of video management and operation safety management, including people counting, real-time access control, social distancing detection, queue management and one-way routes within the store. Retailers can also use these technologies to gather actionable data to enhance the customer experience .
Real time people counting, access control and social distancing
Using video analytics driven by machine learning, retailers can track the number of shoppers in their store. With real-time video analysis, the retailer is automatically notified when the maximum number of people in the store has been reached. Appropriate measures can be set up in advance, helping a store to avoid overcrowding or excessive numbers of shoppers.
Systems can also be set up with a “one in, one out” policy to control access. Waiting shoppers are notified when they are allowed to enter a store via a “traffic light” device, for example. With this technology, a retailer prevents overcrowding without having to place an employee at the entrance. This prevents both the employee and the customer from being at a greater risk of infection.
Social distancing is becoming the new norm for shoppers. Video technology can detect when people overstep the prescribed safe distance, such as when they are looking at products and suddenly find themselves very close to another person. The video system can immediately set off an alarm, helping to remind shoppers to keep a safe distance automatically or personally by an employee.
Queue management
Active queue management is essential. Shorter waiting time in the checkout line generally equates to a safer in-store customer experience. Video analytics tracks how long specific shoppers have waited in line. Based on the store’s waiting time policy, real-time alerts can be sent to store management to quickly deploy additional cashiers. By continuously monitoring cash registers, a retailer can properly identify customer flows and call in more staff to address the busiest spots in a timely manner. Having better information at hand reduces frustration for time-conscious and safety-conscious shoppers at the same time.
One-way routes
To prevent close contact or traffic jams in a limited space, retailers can guide shoppers through their sales floor on defined “one-way routes”. Modern video analytics systems detect when people are moving against the prescribed walking direction and can, for example, trigger an alarm to remind shoppers of the correct walking route.
Cyclops is a retail analytics solution that can connect any surveillance camera to help track store footfall count and queue time. To find out more about how you can utilize Cyclops during the pandemic, check out our website and blog:
