Your Guide to Using Retail Security Cameras to Assess Workflow & Customer Activity

Retail security cameras are an invaluable resource for retail stores everywhere. Theft is the biggest challenge retail establishments face, whether through shoplifting or employee theft. Having security cameras in your store can be the best deterrent to theft and reduce shrinkage.

Most businesses install security cameras to reduce theft and regulate behavior in the retail environment, but loss prevention is not the only benefit of using cameras in these locations. Camera systems allow you to monitor employee workflow and study customer shopping patterns. 

This guide will further explain how you can use retail security cameras for assessing workflow and customer activity. 

What Is a Retail Security Camera?

Retail security cameras are surveillance systems retail stores place around their property, giving proprietors a bird’s-eye view of their establishment’s activities at all times. Aside from acting as a burglar deterrent, retail security cameras are also commonly used for monitoring workers’ workflow and customers’ shopping habits. Security camera systems are the best way for store owners to make educated business decisions that benefit their financial situation and maximize profits.

Retail Security Cameras for Assessing Workflow

Most human resource managers do their best to research job candidates and ensure the right people are hired for each position. No matter how good your workers seem to appear during the hiring process, some may choose to practice unethical behavior. All employees require supervision to maintain the integrity of the work environment. You can regulate your company code of standard and see each employee’s performance by utilizing video technology. 

There are two factors that come into play when assessing workflow: 

1. Employee Behavior

Monitoring employee behavior is an essential way for you to physically see how they are operating as they represent your store to the public. There are different parts of employee behavior that a security camera can monitor, including:

• Interaction with customers

If customer service ratings have been low, you can use video evidence to discover the root of the problem. Check to see if your employees are taking care of customers in a timely and professional manner. If they are carrying out the correct procedures, then the issue must be in another area. It could be that the store traffic is overwhelmingly high and disproportionate to the number of employees required for on-time operations. 

• Unethical behavior of your employees.

With video footage, you can catch your employees doing things they shouldn’t be, including stealing products or money. This footage can become your evidence for the police department when you report the theft. Workers are less likely to steal when there are cameras in place, but these systems can give you an idea of other security measures you need when theft does occur. 

The data collected here can help the decision-making process for ensuring proper and better customer service. 

2. Employee Workflows

You can use retail security cameras to collect information on the workflow of your employees. You might find that:

• This can help you figure out the ideal staffing levels at various times of the day to maximize your productivity while minimizing labor costs. 
• There may be bottlenecks that cause inefficient operations, which you can find when studying the recorded video footage. 
• You can implement new procedures using the information from the study. 

Store managers will maintain the proper workflow of the workers in real-time. One issue is that managers can’t always be on the floor watching their employees because of other priorities such as back-office work. The live feed of the security footage in their office gives managers a way to monitor employees remotely and communicate information over the headset. 

Retail Security Cameras for Customer Activity

Businesses can additionally track customer activity in their retail stores and even pop-up shops. By employing the use of a security camera system, owners can capture customers’ movements within the store. The results will ultimately help you pinpoint the necessary improvements for product displays and store set up. 

These are three ways that video cameras can help you gain insight from consumers:

1. Customer Traffic

There are many costs associated with a retail store when it is open for business, including labor, electricity, and other utility expenses. To minimize those costs and run efficient business hours, owners can track customer traffic. Placing video surveillance cameras at all the entrances and exits shows you exactly when customers are entering and leaving the store. If there’s hardly any foot traffic during the first few hours of opening, you can use those analytics to reestablish business hours by shortening the day. Through this method of tracking, operation costs can be reduced. 

2. Shopping Habits

Once people are in the store, the security camera system can reveal common shopping habits. Placing cameras in various locations around the store allows you to track the most popular route shoppers take when browsing for products. If you want greater visibility for high-priced items, research the hot spots in your store and place the products in those popular locations. Use the data to maximize the chances of selling more goods you’re trying to push. 

The store set-up affects shopping habits as well. Less populated areas may be caused by dim lighting or poor design. You can make adjustments to these areas after you have thoroughly researched all of the shopping habits. 

3. Checkout Patterns

Installing cameras near the checkout area helps you gain a better understanding of your store’s checkout patterns. If you have multiple registers, tracking customer activities in that area can help you decide on the number of cashiers to employ during various times of the day. If you know when many shoppers are checking out, you want to have more cashiers on hand than you would when fewer shoppers are checking out in your store. 

Find Out How Retail Security Cameras Can Help You

Using a security camera system is the best method to track employee and customer behavior in the retail industry. Whether it’s for loss prevention or observation purposes, a retail camera system can help you make crucial modifications to your store’s operation. This system is an effective strategy to maximize profits and minimize costs, improving your overall profit margin. 

Optimize your store operations by installing retail security cameras. If you’re unsure where to place them, contact Mobile Video Guard today to speak with an expert who can satisfy your needs. We can also find answers to your retail security camera questions or any other security inquiries you might have.