Shoplifting is a challenge most retailers face and it costs millions. In fact, shoplifting in England and Wales is at its highest level since current records began, costing UK retailers £2.2 billion a year.
The retail industry is taking new security measures to improve safety, including:
Security tags are now found on everyday items such as coffee, milk and cheeses.
More store owners are locking alcohol behind glass cabinets.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Co-op offer staff wearable security cameras due to a rise in security incidents and abuse.
The urgent need for physical security leads store owners to explore cameras with advanced features. While comprehensive security is a big step in the right direction, unless they’re integrated effectively, they have the potential to create more challenges.
Why integration flexibility is key for retail store security cameras
Retail businesses’ security measures have evolved beyond the shopfloor. Multi-channel retailers rely on security cameras to protect against shoplifting, internal theft and fraud. Today’s security cameras can help retailers combat these threats, but they need to be part of an integrated security platform to get comprehensive coverage.
How isolated security weakens retail businesses' response:
Security personnel have spotted odd customer behaviour on the self-checkouts. It looks like someone didn’t scan a coat before bagging it. The officer isn’t sure. So, they switch to check the point of sale (POS) system to see if the coat was scanned. It wasn’t, but it’s too late. They’ve left the store without paying for it.
A motion detector alerts security after hours. All the officer knows is that movement has been detected at two entry points. They log into a system to see if any doors have been opened. Then, they log into another one to check the cameras. It takes several minutes to see that a cardboard box was blown in front of the entry points. Thankfully, it’s not a security breach. If it were, the response would have been too slow to keep intruders out.
Isolated video security cameras give security teams little help beyond vision. But intelligent cameras installed with an integrated approach are a different story. Security personnel get centralised views with multi-site access control from smart devices.
Pelco security products are deployed globally largely due to their integration capabilities. The Sarix Enhanced 4P Series Bullet camera is a great example. With open architecture and NDAA-compliant hardware, it can integrate with POS, sensors, access control and more. It puts retail businesses in a better place to detect threats across stores, digital and supply chains. Security teams have more time and information to make better decisions when security services work together.
Disconnected technology decreases security and operational efficiency
Blind spots: No connection between security cameras, POS, entry points and motion detectors leaves gaps for suspicious acts to go undetected.
Delayed responses: Switching between platforms to cross-check security incidents is slow and tedious. The best security response is fast and effortless.
Slow investigations: Looking into incidents and building evidence with legacy security can take many hours. Officers must go through weeks of video footage. It’s an important but draining task that invites human error. The quality of recorded video evidence can make or break your case in an investigation.
Delayed emergency response: Every second matters during an emergency. Security teams don’t want manual processes slowing them down when they’re under pressure to deal with serious situations.
Stifled innovation: Enhancing security demands a focus on new and emerging technologies. For example, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and facial recognition have become common parts of security in recent years. But some retailers have found it difficult to integrate. It can be an arduous task to connect new technologies to older ones that weren’t built with integration in mind.
Poor customer experience: Customer interactions occur more often when security cameras don’t give officers enough clarity. And nobody likes to be questioned by security when they’ve done nothing wrong. It can cost you customers.
Scaling complications: Adding new tools across multiple locations with a poorly integrated system soon turns into a logistical headache. Struggling to adjust security measures can dampen the excitement of business growth.
Lack of valuable insights: It asks too much from security teams to notice everything that’s going on across stores. It’s not realistic. AI cameras collect and share video analytics with other technologies. Data is analysed to identify security insights that need to be addressed. Integrated hardware and software provide valuable insights that can be used to reduce stock loss and boost operational efficiency.
Internal theft: When it’s common knowledge that there are gaps in a security system, it invites more retail theft and internal theft. Staff could be tempted to steal or pass on information to others to do so if they know how to exploit a security system.
The cost of disconnected security has a clear effect for retailers: more vulnerability, theft, costs, false alarms, staff turnover, wasted resources and more frustration follow.
Retail environments are safer with integrated security cameras
Integration can’t afford to be an afterthought, with a long list of potential security threats to mitigate. Security teams need rapid and accurate information to make the best decisions. Integrated security cameras that connect with POS, transaction data, alarms, access controls and other technologies give security teams the clarity they need to do their jobs well.
Enhancing security with an integrated approach helps close the gaps that so often make the difference between successful loss prevention and a costly mistake that requires an investigation.
Author
Jose Rojas
NAM Sales Engineering Manager
Jose Rojas is a sales engineering manager at Pelco with 25 years of experience supporting enterprise customers around the world. He focuses on delivering tailored technical solutions and leading an engineering team that meets the needs of mission-critical clients.
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