For decades, retail stores have been accustomed to the use of CCTV surveillance cameras within their premises as a deterrent for potential crimes. However, the scale at which events like store vandalism, thefts, and other attacks happen inside the four walls of a store, has grown exponentially over the years. This means that retailers need to onboard advanced versions of their existing security provisions, especially on their monitoring infrastructure. 

The time is ripe for the widespread use of computer vision as a strong store security and safety mechanism. Before we go into how computer vision can make a difference, it is important to know why it is critical for retailers to go beyond their simple surveillance solutions today.

How Big Is the Problem?

In 2021, US retailers alone revealed that they lost almost USD 100 billion worth of merchandise to shoplifting. In addition to the threats of shoplifting, retailers are today faced with a rising number of cases of store vandalism or in-store attacks by criminals. It puts the lives of thousands of employees at risk. The reasons may be several, but the losses incurred are often so high that an average small retailer may decide to wind up his or her shop rather than repair the damage done.

These two factors are increasingly causing severe hardship for retailers as losses keep mounting. 

In fact, in a recent interview, the CEO of Walmart said that shoplifting was such a huge problem that it would lead to a price rise in store inventory. The situation escalates when the economy is in bad shape, courtesy of events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Stricter laws with tougher punishments may bring some relief, but at the end of the day, human behavior driven by emotions like hunger, hate, or greed is quite challenging to control with regulations. So, does that mean retailers must close their eyes at this loss? Certainly not when it reaches such extreme levels.  

In most cases, the lack of proper evidence or identifying clues about an attacker or thief is the primary reason for a store to be targeted. The basic surveillance system isn’t as effective in identifying criminals early enough to take appropriate action. For law enforcement to act against attackers and thieves and for store managers to prevent thieves from exiting the store with stolen merchandise, there needs to be an active unbiased monitoring of all store movements 24X7. This is what computer vision can help realize in a retail environment. 

Let us look at the three most important roles that computer vision can play in modern retail store security and safety:

Track Suspicious Activity

Computer vision-aided surveillance systems can help retailers proactively monitor store environments for any suspicious behavior from visiting customers. For example, platforms like KamerAI leverage visual footage from CCTV cameras and determine whether there is any suspicious activity anywhere within the store or parking lot, or common utility areas. This surveillance is guided by intelligent AI processing, which can easily identify visual elements autonomously. As the system checks and verifies visual feeds with data, it is more likely to provide accurate insights. 

The computer vision-guided security system can autonomously alert security staff about suspicious behavior and is available around the clock.

Catch Repeat Offenders Easily

There are instances where a particular retail chain or brand is targeted by certain criminals or groups. With computer vision, it becomes easier to keep track of repeat offenders and prevent them from causing severe damage. The system can recognize facial patterns of repeat offenders if the business maintains a centralized database of offenders. 

This is very useful in the case of large chain stores wherein the same brand has multiple stores in different cities.

Facilitate Cashier-less Stores

When it comes to vandalism and in-store violence, the cashier’s role is perhaps in the most danger. They are more likely to be attacked when an issue happens because they handle the part of the store where all the money is. Computer vision-guided security systems can eventually replace the long tiring process of queuing up. 

A decade ago, the concept of cashier-less retail stores would sound amusing. But today, you can find self-checkout stores in almost every major city in the world as more retailers have begun leveraging autonomous systems that manage checkout through a combination of computer vision and artificial intelligence. 

Through intelligent processing of inventory items at the desk, it becomes easier for business chains to facilitate more cashier-less stores and improve the safety of their employees considerably as counter activity becomes self-service.

Wrapping Up

The retail industry is once again at the heart of daily life in most countries after a hibernating period of over two years of pandemic. However, as they regain confidence and launch their stores, the security and safety of employees become a prime concern. Leveraging standard security and safety mechanisms will not be the ideal solution to this challenge. The best option is to go in for computer vision-guided security systems that work intelligently to prevent security risks. 

Get in touch with us to learn more about how KamerAI’s revolutionary products will redefine the future of retail.