TL;DR: The best retail store surveillance system should include HD cameras, an NVR for easy management, cloud storage for backups, and remote access via a web browser or mobile app.
Profit margins are a top priority when you’re running a successful retail business and one of the key threats to a healthy bottom line is shrinkage.
That is why a visible, modern video surveillance system is so crucial in the retail sector.
Not only do well-placed cameras provide an effective deterrent to theft, they also enhance security and improve your operational efficiency too.
A study across retailers based in the US, UK and other European countries has revealed that 58% of security-based decision-makers in the retail sector report significant reductions in losses thanks to video security, and 9% believe it has eradicated shoplifting altogether.
The positive impact of visible surveillance, and the power of high quality, easily accessible data to facilitate robust investigations, can’t be underestimated.
Key Features to Look for in a Retail store Video Surveillance System
1. High-Quality Video Resolution
This is essential to give you clear, high-definition footage when you are examining an incident and you need to identify exactly what happened. Movements can be subtle, especially when small items like jewelry are involved. High-quality surveillance footage gives you that close-up definition you need to back up your case.
2. Wide-Angle and Adjustable Cameras
Retail outlets can have a large expanse of space to monitor, and some areas can be tricky to see, depending on how your aisles, shelving and merchandise are positioned.
Perfectly designed for optimising your retail store surveillance system, using security cameras with wide-angle lenses and PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) capabilities means that you can cover larger areas with fewer cameras.
Camera recording settings and schedules can be adjusted remotely, giving you the option to swivel, tilt and zoom in and out of a specific area when you need to take a closer look at any suspicious or delinquent behavior.
3. Advanced Motion Detection and Alerts
With a centralized platform to view footage from all your cameras and store locations, you can get real-time alerts for any suspicious activity, enabling you to respond immediately to a live situation.
You can also set customisable detection zones to minimise false alarms.
4. Remote Access and Monitoring
With the right video surveillance software, like Videoloft, you can access live and recorded footage from any number of locations, anywhere in the world.
5. Scalability and Integration
Acquired more sites and need more surveillance? Not a problem. Adopting the Videoloft platform means that it’s simple and quick to add more cameras to your existing security system. You’re future proofing your business for further expansion; easily, cost-effectively and quickly.
Learn more about key features to look out for in your surveillance system.
Benefits of Using a Cloud-Based Surveillance System
Videoloft’s powerful cloud-based video surveillance is simple, reliable and affordable. It provides secure, offsite cloud back up for unlimited sites, cameras and users.
And its broad compatibility with existing security systems means that you don’t have to replace your existing system, you’re just taking it to the next level.
1. Accessibility and Convenience
The revolutionary Videoloft platform is the best surveillance system for retailers, giving you easy access to video feeds from any location that has an internet connection.
Centralized access to all your feeds simplifies the management of your retail outlet video surveillance. With the touch of a button, you can add unlimited users at no extra cost, and you can set permission and camera access levels.
The Videoloft mobile app and browser-based web viewer couldn’t be easier to navigate, so that you can view all your live feeds in one place, and quickly and efficiently find any recorded footage you’re looking for.
2. Cost Efficiency
Switching to Videoloft’s platform doesn’t mean that you have to install an entirely new surveillance system. We’re compatible with the vast majority of CCTV camera and recorder brands.
What it does mean is that your maintenance costs are significantly lower compared to managing traditional DVR/NVR systems – storing your CCTV footage in the cloud means that you don’t need to run hardware onsite to physically store your data. You just need a Videoloft Cloud Adapter to connect your security system to the cloud, which can be conjured and updated remotely.
Videoloft’s subscription-based monthly pricing models for cloud storage mean that you can spread your costs evenly. Or, if you prefer, you can choose to pay annually upfront to benefit from a 10% discount.
3. Data Security and Redundancy
Videoloft’s secure cloud storage gives you data redundancy if your local NVR or DVR fails, is stolen or tampered with. All video is encrypted while it is being sent to the cloud, and while it is being stored.
4. Scalability and Flexibility
It couldn’t be easier to expand your cloud storage capacity as you increase your operation, effortlessly adding more cameras, locations or users to your service.
This gives you the flexibility to adapt to any changing security needs without significant infrastructure changes.
5. Advanced Analytics
Videoloft’s cloud video surveillance platform comes with sophisticated analytics that give you valuable insights into customer behavior and store performance. These insights turn your surveillance into your business intelligence, informing your decisions and improving your operations. People analytics can give you footfall statistics, customer counts, queue lengths, dwell times and more. Vehicle analytics can tell you how many cars are in your car park and identify license plates along with vehicle make, model and colour.
6. Simplified Updates and Maintenance
Tech is ever evolving and, at Videoloft, we’re constantly enhancing our service and releasing new features. At no extra cost, as our valued customer you receive automatic software updates and security patches, giving you continuous improvement of system capabilities without maintenance and downtime to factor into your operations.
Considerations for Implementing a Cloud-Based System
1. Internet Connectivity
Of course, with cloud-based CCTV, bandwidth requirements are an important consideration as its technology relies on the internet. But then, what doesn’t in today’s world!
But it’s a myth that low bandwidth doesn’t have the capability to support cloud CCTV.
The bandwidth you’ll need to run your cloud-based CCTV will be impacted by factors such as the number of cameras you’re running and the bit rate of your video recording, which in turn depends on its resolution, frame rate and your cameras’ video compression settings.
Videoloft has been tested and optimized for real world networks, which means that it uses as little bandwidth as possible.
And, as a safety net for those rare times internet connection completely drops off, we have a robust backup plan in place. When there’s an internet outage, your footage is backed up in the Videoloft Cloud Adapter’s inbuilt storage, then automatically uploaded to the cloud when connection is restored.
2. Data Privacy and Compliance
Videoloft takes data protection and GDPR compliance seriously. Under GDPR, you remain the owner and data controller of your personal video data and associated analytics metadata. We ensure that your data is handled securely and in compliance with GDPR regulations.
3. Total Cost of Ownership
Cloud-based CCTV surveillance systems typically have low initial costs compared to the significant upfront investment required for replacing your existing surveillance system with the latest technology, i.e. brand new cameras, DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) or NVRs (Network Video Recorders).
As cloud-based systems use the infrastructure that’s already there, it reduces the need for new hardware. And the cloud storage facility gives you easily scalable storage solutions, paying for whatever storage you need, with no need to buy more hardware to expand your storage capacity as you need to with a non-cloud-based system.
On a longer-term basis, Videoloft’s platform saves you money as it provides valuable business insights, streamlines your operational efficiency, reduces ongoing maintenance costs and upgrades, and minimises the potential for needing to replace damaged or defunct hardware.
Conclusion
Videoloft’s cloud video surveillance platform gives you a secure, scalable and affordable way to add cloud storage to your existing security system – with a simple set up process that only takes a few minutes.
And the Videoloft mobile app and browser-based web viewer give you the functionality to effortlessly retrieve, replay, share and download recordings, and view camera live feeds through a single login.
Have you reviewed the surveillance system across your retail stores lately? Is it working effectively for you and giving you the monitoring capability, accessible data and secure, offsite cloud backup that your modern and efficient operation needs?
You can find out how a diamond and jewellery retailer improved the quality and reliability of their security system here.
Next steps
We invite you to do all you can to improve loss prevention and increase security monitoring in your retail stores, by trying Videoloft today.
To get started, you need to order your Videoloft Cloud Adapter and set up your Cloud Plan, which you can do here.
For more information on how cloud CCTV can provide you with the best security solution for your retail stores, get in touch with our friendly, expert team at hello@videoloft.net or, alternatively, arrange a free proof of concept and trial Videoloft for free for 30 days – we’ll do all the hard work so you don’t have to!
