leapp in Netherlands invests in cloud-based video to monitor stores and enhance operations.
Business Challenge
leapp is a growing retail chain in the Netherlands specializing in the refurbishment and sale of second-hand Apple products. In its five years of operations, the retailer has opened 16 stores in the Netherlands, and has expanded into Belgium and Germany with an additional 8 locations. Customers trust leapp to deliver quality refurbished devices and excellent customer service, both online and in-store.
To protect its stores and staff, the retailer first began by installing off-the-shelf security systems. As the company expanded to new locations, a mix of technologies became difficult to maintain and manage. Its team wanted to standardize their operations by using one system, so they called security system experts at Een Veilig Gevoel for guidance.
“When leapp first came to us, they were a new company looking for a solution that could minimize any upfront security investments,” said Sander Zuijdam, Managing Director at Een Veilig Gevoel. “The
Stratocast cloud-based surveillance solution from
Genetec allows our company to bundle devices and the video surveillance system costs into a low monthly fee, offering our clients an affordable and robust security system.”
Stratocast Secures leapp Stores and Headquarters
leapp now uses Stratocast to manage a total of 100 cameras in over 24 stores located in three countries. The company can easily access and monitor all cameras from their headquarters in the Netherlands, using the Federation-as-a-Service (FaaS) license. FaaS is the cloud-based service from Genetec that facilitates central monitoring of multiple sites.
Each store is equipped with three or four
Axis Communications P-Series Network Cameras (mostly AXIS P3354) which provide an overview of entrances, sales floors, cash registers and stock rooms. At the headquarters, cameras provide coverage of entrances, warehouse, logistics and refurbishment areas, and the perimeter.
Three regional loss prevention managers have access to store camera systems for their respective territories. If an alarm goes off, they can quickly access video from their mobile phone or computer.
“Stratocast is very easy-to-use. During investigations, our team can find video in seconds, export it and securely email it to those who take the case further. The high-resolution video quality provides the details we need,” explained Job Pijpers, Dedicated Roll-Out Manager for new stores at leapp.
Exploring the Operational Value of Stratocast
While Stratocast is primarily used to protect staff and deter theft, leapp is making use of its investment to achieve other business objectives. For example, when the online chat for support at leapp.nl gets busy, the Support Manager can access video to verify if a store has any customer service agents available to jump online and handle chat requests.
“All of our sales agents are trained to handle customers in-store and online. We’re able to maximize available resources for online chats when our stores are not busy,” explained Pijpers.
The video system is also used for employee training purposes, and to sell the business concept to prospective landlords and investors as leapp grows into new European markets. “It’s become a sales tool for negotiating new store lease agreements,” said Pijpers. “I can pull up video on my mobile phone and show them what our stores look like, how we operate, and what we do. Our partners do not have to travel anywhere, and we get the handshake on the deal much sooner.”
Simple Budgeting and Setup of Cloud Surveillance
Growing at such a fast rate means that leapp is always on the lookout for new potential locations. The monthly cost of Stratocast makes it easy to budget and plan for growth.
According to Pijpers, “We roll out a lot of stores, so leasing our security system is very convenient. When we have a new store, I can quickly determine how many cameras we will need, and the monthly costs for the entire system. My investment is always predictable and clear.”
With the help of Een Veilig Gevoel, the system is usually up and running at a new store in a matter of hours. As a cloud-based solution, no servers are required at the store, minimizing setuptime, costs and maintenance.
“Stratocast is a very reliable and easy-to-install cloud-based platform, which makes our job easier,” explained Zuijdam. “We focus on providing leapp with exceptional service and they rely on us for any assistance, upgrades or new installations.”
Expanding Retail Footprint with the Cloud
Moving forward, leapp plans to continue growing its successful retail chain into more regions in Europe, adding more Stratocast systems as they go. The team is also looking to integrate retail analytics such as people counting within the system to retrieve even more business intelligence.
“Stratocast has been a reliable security system, and it has also delivered major operational advantages for our team. As a fastgrowing company, the video helps us to learn about our store environment, how our customers shop and how our people work. This information helps us improve our stores as we continue to expand,” concluded Job Pijpers.