Technological Breakthrough: Facial Recognition in Offline Retails
If you’ve read the Orwell classic 1984, the mass surveillance prediction may be coming true before your eyes. Facial recognition software is rapidly becoming a norm which facilitates accountability and progress. At the crux, facial recognition is a method through which a human face is registered and stored in a database technologically. Such software has been in the process of development since the 1960s, especially garnering the popularity of its utility in the police forces. In recent times, much of its use has been identified in the offline retail sector. Unquestionably, it is one of the greatest devices to prevent shoplifting, increase security, identify terrorists of national importance, as well as disallowing identity theft.
With these objectives in mind, several retail industries have already begun implementing this technology. Aiding in security and mass surveillance, it finds legitimization through law and order. Beyond retail, commercialization of this technology has been taking place. It is predicted by Counterpoint Research, that this mechanism of facial recognition will be implemented in about 1 billion smart phones within a matter of a few years. Additionally, it is also being considered to protect personal data. In context of this, while the onus of security and transparency falls on the retail sectors, many are implementing the mechanism to their benefit.
Solution by Giscle
Since much of the shopping experience takes place online, there is a gap between the online and offline shopping arena. This hesitant attitude to trust online services but the lethargy to explore offline retail, often confuses the customers and they choose the easiest option. In this scenario, more often than not, quality is compromised. Giscle wants to limit this and help customers choose only the best. In this regard, Giscle also works to bridge the gap between the online and offline, mutually aiding both the customers and the retailers.
Via Giscle technology, the video retail analytic, which are powered by deep learning and computer vision; is comprehensively included in the video cameras. This allows the offline shopping mechanism to parallel the online one with several overlaps.
→ It creates each customer’s individual persona.
→ It aids in profiling and keeping the total visitor count.
→ Tracks the movement and location of the visitors, creating an in-store heat map.
→ Identify regular customers and VIPs directly at the entrance.
One can see several similarities with the online experience through the above mentioned overlaps. For instance, consider Amazon, where each shopper has an account, his/her activity is monitored, the duration of the products they are on is monitored, along with it, Amazon also identifies the most shopped or Prime members. Thus, an interesting synthesis is actualized between the two. Such solutions, offered by Giscle, allow the shopping experience to escalate into the next level.
It humanizes the data, meaning:
i) Recognizes customers as individuals rather than data sets
ii) Responds to real-time events and trends, rather than guessing the previous shopping history
iii) Respects the customers’ ingenuity sans invasive tactics
Thus, this is directly related to the boost of sales per shopper and per square feet. The offline shopping arena is enhanced and made customer friendly with the features of Giscle.
Objective of Facial Recognition Technology
The primary purpose is to identify the faces of customers who enter the retail stores, along with storing this registered data in a database. This information will be utilized for further analysis. With the help of cameras, the registered faces will be located and recorded, for enhancing shoppers shopping experiences.
Use Cases By Giscle:
The most prominent advantage of such a technology is the assurance of security. It is a method through which not only customers, but also retail industry owners’ interests are safeguarded mutually. Along with the direct advantages of security, safety, transparency, various use cases are attached to the utilization of facial recognition technology.
Tracking: Computer Vision can track shoppers and staff at same time. With a proper and accurate database in place, the tracking of regular customers becomes an easier task. While this will help transition the shopping experience to the likeness of online shopping, it will also help in identifying the progress of the store and efficacy & attraction of products/advertisement.
Merging Offline and Online: Online shopping services already build a database which is regularly analyzed and monitored. With facial recognition, offline retail sectors can do the same. The database, especially for online stores, helps in understanding traffic, digital behavior, and more. Additionally, the online customers can contact the merchants in order to facilitate a better shopping experience. For example, if a person X orders an appliance online, it can be delivered to the physical store and the customer can receive it with the aid of the facial recognition system.
Loss Prevention: Any form of surveillance is a message to the public to be on their best behaviour. With a security mechanism like this installed, shoplifting-a widespread problem can almost be eliminated. It is a problem for both the owners and consumers because if major theft takes place, the cost is compensated by inflating prices of existing products. This leads to either a decrease in availability or inaccessibility due to the price hikes. Facial recognition, can easily identity and help locate the criminals.
Enhanced data: Walmart tested facial recognition in 2015. It was able to capture the facial expressions of customers shopping, standing in the queue, and leaving the store. Apart from security purposes, it aids in product management. Retail stores will be able to identify what increases the customers’ satisfaction level and which points in the entire purchasing process are dreadful. A reduced checkout time, increase of self-checkout machines, and the creation of more checkout counters, are all changes which can be implemented after sufficient data is gathered through such systems.
Employee check: Not only the customers, but even the backbone of the store needs to be regularly evaluated. Such software will increase the punctuality and efficiency of the employees, therefore reducing the resources generally invested in to monitor employees’ work hours & ethics. Apart from this, the facial recognition feature will also ensure that only valid and permissible members enter certain areas.
- Facial recognition and heat maps: A proper mapping of the physical store can be done with this technology. Heat maps keep the owner well-informed about the popular segments in the store.
Benefits of Facial Recognition in Offline Retail
With the context of the above mentioned features and solutions provided by Giscle, retailers can be at ease in their respective industries through the integration of facial recognition in their retail store. Apart from the obvious concerns of safety, security, and transparency, a system like this prevents economic damage and garners future sales.
→ Through the use of tracking, retailers can have great advantages. It will allow them to improve the product placement and publicity. If there is a certain product which is more in demand or gathers more customers, its cost can be appropriately increased or reduced to suit a boost in sales. Additionally, it will allow the identification of outdated products and how they can be effectively sold out to bring the crowd towards the popular products.
→ Giscle’s solution consolidates both the offline and online experience. This is extremely beneficial for the retailers as the same advantages of the online sequence can be replicated offline while keeping the customers happy as well. It ensures convenience, and at the same time, allows retailers to register the regularity of customers and sales strategies.
→ With the use case preventing thefts and other crimes, it helps the retailers discourage spoilage of products and economic loss. Theft costs retailers roughly 50 billion dollars according to a 2016 report. Keeping a surveillance check will help keep the products on track and note its sale and residue. Thus, severe loss can be prevented which would’ve otherwise hurt both the customers and retailers.
→ Since retailers spend a decent amount when investing in this mechanism, it is of utmost priority to ensure quality. Since enhanced data is provided, every little detail, as minute as facial expressions can be analyzed, and strategies can be implemented upon this data. This will increase sales per person, per square feet, ultimately aiding the retailers.
→ By regulating a check on employees, only quality work will be put in, giving retailers the proper labour in exchange for the salary paid. Employees are an integral part of the system and their effective work is necessary for progress. The facial recognition mechanism will ensure punctuality and transparency, in turn saving severe economic damage.
→ The heat map technology allows the detection of the crowded areas. This gives the retails a brilliant benefit of enhancing their sales and managing the interiors. True customer experience is reflected which will allow suitable changes to be made, and that is directly proportional to the customer satisfaction and thus the retail’s progress.
Using giscle video retail analytics solution offline retailed will be able to increase sales per shoppers and sales per square feet store area.
Want to enhance your retail shopping experience, email us for pilot info@giscle.com
