Poll: 90 Percent Of Retailers Experience Positive Effects With Video Surveillance

• Nov 02, 2009

Nine out of 10 shop owners have experienced fewer thefts and robberies, and increased security for staff since installing video surveillance. This is shown in a survey by the Swedish Retail Institute that has been conducted on behalf of the Swedish Trade Federation in cooperation with Axis Communications.

“This survey shows that there is great interest in video surveillance and security issues within Retail,” said Dick Malmlund, security manager with the Swedish Trade Federation. “Retailers need both education and support to be able to make the right decision when choosing surveillance systems for their stores. We'd really like to let our members know the benefits of the new technology.”

According to the survey the main reasons shop owners install video surveillance is to help prevent or investigate thefts, robberies and shoplifting, and increase security for staff. 66 percent of those who have installed surveillance said they feel the security for staff has increased, and more than half have experienced a reduction in theft, robbery and shoplifting.

Nearly 60 percent say they have not experienced any adverse effects of surveillance at all.

However three out of ten have indicated poor image quality as a negative effect. Of these, 70 percent have analog cameras in their systems. Analog cameras provide significantly lower resolution and lower quality of recorded material than today's IP cameras.

“If the usability of a monitoring system is the most important issue for shop owners, the focus must be on image quality. Some shop owners feel that it is expensive to install IP systems, but this technology is more flexible and future-proofed than analog,” said Magnus Zederfeldt, who is responsible for Axis Communications sales in the Nordic and Baltic countries. “They can also contribute to business value through other functions, such as remote monitoring and footfall analysis."

Half of respondents are interested in learning more about video surveillance functions and how they can benefit their business. Functions such as footfall analysis and heat maps can identify the most crowded areas in a shop and identify how long people spend in certain areas. With this type of information the business is in a better position to manage the flow of people, which can help increase customer satisfaction and create more effective product positioning.