As a retailer you invest in replenishment, advertising and promotion in order to stay competitive and capitalise on any traffic that walks in store. However, for any of this investment to be truly effective, there is so much you need to know first.
Retailers need to have the data to analyse store performances by store, by week, even by day. They also need to be able to compare the number of shoppers with the number of transactions, so that they can achieve an accurate closing percentage.
"Outlets need to track customer traffic in order to pinpoint hot and cold spots," says Sony Business SA product manager, Will Klopper. "It is particularly important to analyse 'real' audiences, in real-time, for example, women mainly shop in the morning and students at night - then analyse their shopping behaviour."
Sony has introduced a new concept, Retail Intelligence, incorporating a range of technology solutions, to enable retailers to source and analyse vital customer data to maximise store performance and deliver a superior shopping experience.
First and foremost, the In-Store Observation software measures vital information about customers' interaction with merchandise, promotions, displays and sales staff. It allows retailers to accumulate information about footfall, customer service, shopping patterns and checkout waiting times.
"This will lead to better customer insight, improved customer service levels, optimised store layouts and more effective in-store marketing. In short, you will increase customer loyalty and profitability," comments Klopper.
Collection of information
Sony's wide range of professional video cameras can be discreetly mounted to the ceiling of any retail environment. In combination with PC-based imaging algorithms, these cameras anonymously transform video into a series of data points by continuously counting or building a track describing each customer's movement in store. Optionally, the system can deliver and store high quality video footage on demand.
The information is then instantly available in accessible reports from your stores to the retail managers' desks, or to multiple users across LAN, WAN or the Internet.
Concludes Klopper: "Retail Intelligence can be configured to meet the individual needs of a retailer's environment, infrastructure and resources. It can be implemented into numerous types of retail outlets - from small shops to shopping centres, department stores to malls."
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