From the self-proclaimed foodie to the parent rushing through the aisles on a Saturday, visits to the grocery store are part of our modern daily life, whether you shop a national chain, a local supermarket or even a farmers’ market in the park. As eating and cooking become hobbyist activities and their popularity surges, many grocery stores struggle to accommodate new technology in surveillance as it becomes available.

Many grocers who have been in the business for years are still using analog surveillance cameras in their stores, despite the introduction of newer technologies. They would like to have the high resolution and analytics offered by new IP cameras, but replacing their older cameras with new IP cameras can be costly, and their extended business hours can make it a challenge to find the time to implement a whole-scale installation of new video cameras and management systems. Grocery businesses also may have other systems in use that may not integrate easily with IP video.

The most successful adoptions of IP camera technology often utilize a network video management system managed by a unified video client to reap the benefits of IP camera technology without abandoning already installed analog cameras. The most-well known benefit of the IP camera is itshigh-resolution imaging, which can be crucial in a grocery store business. A clear image of a person inside the store or license plate in the parking lot can be essential to loss prevention.

Grocery operators also want access to powerful analytic tools and the ability to pinpoint loss prevention incidents, accidents and potential accidents, which translates into faster response times and in some instances, merchandise saved. The benefit of better searching capabilities can often times be achieved only by implementing a newer video management platform, useful in reducing liability for common investigations such as slip and falls. Powerful embedded analytics can also tell retailers how to better handle line queues and how best to staff registers, in addition to alerting them of potential shelf-sweep thefts of high value items. Other tools such as heat mapping can provide for information on the popularity of in-store promotions and displays.

A growing trend in the grocery store market is integration of video with other systems, such as access control, fire, and in particular with point-of-sale systems. The seamlessly integrated platformthat a unified client provides allows for the management of several facilities across different regions using one platform. The added bonus of real-time remote access allows operators to troubleshoot and attend to situations remotely, without an in-person visit to a facility by a service technician.

By using a unified video client and network VMS to manage both analog and newer IP cameras, grocery retailers are afforded thetime to upgrade to IP at their own speed, while also tapping into powerful, newer IP technology.

Ultimately, a unified client makes video management simpler, and its integrations with other systems give operators the tools they need to make the good and quick decisions that benefit a business. Unified surveillance also gives grocers of all sizes the ability to scale their video surveillance operation accordingly, providing a video solution that can take them from the small neighborhood market to the thriving, nationally known grocery store. And that’s no small change.

To learn more about how one integrator helped to shepherd a major grocery chain through its transition to IP video, click here.