Fashion retail chain employs Axis network video cameras as virtual area manager

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Fashion retail chain employs Axis network video cameras as virtual area manager.

Network video systems provider Axis Communications has partnered with Expedite IT, an Axis Solution Partner to provide network video cameras to Pulp, a UK fashion retailer, to help improve profitability and enhance the customer shopping experience.
 
As retailers head towards the busiest shopping season of the year, up and coming fashion brand Pulp is making the most of its investment in new surveillance cameras to help keep an eye on staffing levels, customer footfall, queuing times and sales off take in store.
 
Pulp sells popular culture merchandise and music inspired fashion and has nine stores in major locations in the UK. Axis' network video cameras have been installed by Axis solution partners Expedite IT as a trial at Pulp's flagship store in the Arndale Centre, Manchester. If the trial is successful, similar surveillance systems will be rolled out to its other stores.
 
Andy Martin, CEO of Pulp said: "As a growing retail chain, we have to exploit our resources and it's essential that we get commercial pay back on any investment we make. Expedite has cleverly positioned discreet Axis network cameras which are acting as a virtual area manager by allowing our management team to log-on remotely to monitor the store at peak shopping times. This allows us to keep an eye on how long customers have to queue to pay or try on clothes and we can check the consistency of our customer service which is an important part of our brand."
 
"With Christmas rapidly approaching, we're hoping for record numbers of customers to visit our stores. I am very interested to see the difference the surveillance system in the Manchester store will make to help us improve profitability and the shopping experience for our customers."
 
Though the surveillance system installed in Pulp's Manchester store is being used for more than just a security system to monitor for shoplifters, shrinkage remains a major battle for the chain, especially during the run up to Christmas. However, Andy Martin is confident that the cameras will help deter shoplifting, and as they deliver such high quality images that can be shared remotely, Pulp can share intelligence with the Arndale Centre's security teams. Staff safety will also be vastly improved thanks to the cameras.

 
Daniel Hobbs, managing director of Expedite IT said, "The cameras will help Pulp to meet many of the challenges facing small retail chains as the image quality provided by network video cameras will allow it to analyse the shopping habits of its customers, closely examine how the store's layout works during busy periods and give valuable evidence to prevent known shoplifters coming into their store. This is done by some intelligent analytics that will provide a motion map of the busiest areas within the shop as well as footfall of people coming in and out of the store. Pulp's staff members are also alerted when movement has been detected in areas outside the main retail floor, or if someone has entered the changing areas."
 
Commenting on the deployment, Phil Doyle, regional director, Northern Europe, Axis Communications said: "Axis network cameras are the perfect solution for Pulp as they offer superb image quality, yet are discreet and flexible. Deployment of the system was completed within a day using Power over Ethernet technology which minimised store disruption. Pulp is set to benefit from the full features of the technology implemented by Expedite IT and will have the necessary analytics at their fingertips to make continual improvements in store."
 
Axis and Expedite IT have provided a range of fixed dome-network cameras and a small intelligence camera with PIR and LED lighting into Pulp, all designed to be affordable, discreet, tamper proof and ideal for retail environments.