by Rebecca Walker — November 9, 2009—Nine out of ten shop owners have experienced fewer thefts and robberies, as well as increased security for staff, since installing video surveillance, according to a survey by the Swedish Retail Institute, conducted on behalf of the Swedish Trade Federation in cooperation with Axis Communications.
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 the 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 digital cameras.
Half of the 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 cerain 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.
For more information, see the Web site of the Swedish Retail Institute.
