The concept of smart retail has to inevitably cover the physical security aspect as it is also one of the factors that would affect a retailers’ bottom line.
The concept of smart retail has to inevitably cover the physical security aspect as it is also one of the factors that would affect a retailers’ bottom line. With the influx of sensors, security can become more sophisticated and efficient from a solution providers’ point of view.
“RFID technology can provide a snapshot of the real-time location of every item in the store, and alert store associates when that item has been misplaced or stolen,” said Michelle Tinsley, Director of Mobility & Secure Payments in Retail Solutions Division at Intel. “While RFID technology has been around for some time, the costs of tags and equipment have come down significantly in the past few years, making it more accessible and affordable for retailers. Intel has worked with retailers to implement real-time 100 percent coverage of RFID – which has enabled the retailers to instantly see a reduction in “Shrink” that was driven by employee theft of items. If the retailer ‘sees’ the item in an employee locker or storage area they can detect it before it leaves the store.”
Other sensors, such as video sensors, can also provide real-time feeds of the store and inventory, enabling store owners to visually track their merchandise. Computer vision will enable retailer loss prevention departments to detect suspicious behaviors real-time as opposed to reviewing recordings after the fact. With the implementation of IoT, retailers are merging the data from security cameras to inventory systems and POS activity – to draw actionable insights and reduce losses.
“Smart store solutions for security and loss prevention utilize a variety of sensor technologies including video, RFID, EAS systems, and more, and the best solutions integrate a variety of different systems, including, of course, the point-of-sale system,” said Ray Hartjen, Director of Marketing at Retailnext. “A key to efficient and effective deployment is real-time alerts, enabling loss prevention and security professionals to take a more proactive approach. Alerts can be sent when security doors and safes are approached or opened, or if shopper dwell times exceed a pre-determined time at a display of high-priced and/or high-theft products. Additionally, by fully understanding the movement of shoppers and merchandise in the store, anomalies can be more easily spotted, and technology tools can be utilized to conduct investigations more efficiently and effectively.”
Adding smart chips to clothes tags can help monitor, track and count apparel in the store, according to Ralf Kodritsch, Director and Segment Manager for RFID Solutions at NXP Semiconductors. Solutions like RAIN RFID labels for tagging of products can help serve as theft protection, not only to determine that something was stolen, but which article was stolen exactly. Hence the replenishment process can be triggered, this very product will be re-ordered so that the next customers will also find what they are looking for.