Video analytics in stores. What is worth knowing about this topic?

Modern technology makes it possible to implement new solutions for data analysis. So far, this has primarily concerned broadly defined online activity. Website owners, using dedicated tools, can analyze not only the number of hits on the site, but also how users get to the site and how they navigate through it.

To what end? Based on this, they are able to assess which promotional activities yield the best results in terms of increasing traffic, and which elements of the site need to be optimized because they are incomprehensible to the viewer. On the other hand, advanced image analytics, which can be applied to stores, allows to improve the operation of a retail outlet, influencing, for example, the proper merchandising.

From this article, you will learn what intelligent video analytics is and how to use it in a store setting.

What is video analytics?

Video analysis is made possible by installing a network of smart cameras. The cameras monitor the interior and surroundings of the store, and the resulting image is automatically analyzed in real time and "converted" into specific information. Such a solution is becoming increasingly popular due to the fact that many industries appreciate the value of effective data analysis and the chance to make conclusions based on it to optimize operations. Your store most likely needs monitoring, so it is worth taking advantage of its additional capabilities.

What can video analytics be used for?

In-store video analysis, regardless of the type of assortment you offer, can provide you with a lot of important information about consumer behavior using your offerings. What does this mean in practice? What data can be "extracted" from the analysis of a video file?

• How does a shopper move through the store? Video analysis can show you what a customer's shopping path looks like inside the store. Which alleys does he choose most often? Which aisles does he spend the most time in? Is the way he moves through the store smooth and intuitive, or does the shopper wander around looking for the products he needs? With this knowledge, you will be able to arrange the spacing of products or additional information increasing the likelihood that the customer will eventually come across them.
• When are the most customers in the store? With this knowledge, you can plan, for example, interesting promotional campaigns that you want to target as many people as possible. Video analysis can also indicate when an additional employee is needed on the store floor to handle increased traffic.
• Which shelves does the customer spend the most time at? This may suggest to you which products he reaches for most often, but you can gain this knowledge just as well by checking sales data. However, if video analytics indicate that a shopper is standing in front of one of the store's shelves for quite a long time, it may suggest that he is looking for a product from a specific group, but not finding the brand, weight, etc. that interests him.

When is it a good idea to go for video analytics?

Video analytics is a way to increase sales in your stationary store and improve its operation. Based on hard, analytical data, you can, among other things, improve the spacing of store aisles, the placement of products and promotional stands, etc. Considering how important data analysis is nowadays and the ability to draw practical conclusions based on it, it is definitely worth thinking about implementing a system that enables video analytics in your own store.