How the Right AI Video Surveillance Solutions Can Help Luxury Retailers

Cliff Miller, Business Development Manager, Hanwha Vision America
Jamel Djebari, Vice President, France, Hanwha Vision Europe

For luxury retailers, every detail matters – from the sophistication of entryways, the beauty of showroom merchandise displays, to the reliability of its security solutions. A store’s atmosphere must clearly exemplify a premium lifestyle brand and a unique shopping experience.

This means that when developing surveillance solutions, security shouldn’t be the sole focus; aesthetics must also be a key consideration. Research shows that for luxury retailers, employing traditional security measures, such as highly-visible cameras, uniformed guards, or locked cases, will help reduce theft, but also — most assuredly — help stop sales.

In fact, more than 70% of luxury shoppers report interpreting heavy security as a red flag. A sign that the store or brand doesn’t trust its clientele or employees. And, nearly 50% will respond by taking their business elsewhere.

So, while installing highly visible cameras and accepting an aesthetic trade-off is something mass merchants gladly accept and pursue — Luxury retailers can’t.

Proven Solutions Valued by Luxury Retailers

Many renowned luxury retailers choose Hanwha Vision technologies to safeguard their valuable merchandise, employees, and customers.

The company’s AI surveillance cameras, IP audio solutions, and Video Management Systems (VMS) are highly-valued by security professionals for their ability to enhance safety and reduce the risk of product “shrinkage.”

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Beyond security, these solutions are also effective tools for other corporate functions, including:

• Human Resources
• IT
• Marketing
• Operations

Managing Multiple Threats Retailers

With high-value merchandise that can be quickly resold, luxury retailers will always face significant threats from external and internal sources.

Dishonest employees might attempt to steal items or commit credit card fraud. They may offer unauthorized discounts or give free items to friends or family — an act known as “sweethearting.”

Common external threats include one-off smash and grab crimes and more sophisticated organized retail crime (ORC). Usually, ORC efforts include groups of people creating distractions to steal expensive items or pursue fraudulent transactions with fake identities and/or credit cards.

To strike the proper balance of security needs and aesthetic considerations, Hanwha Vision’s QND-8011 minidomes and AI-enabled QNF-9010 fisheye cameras are excellent choices. Extremely compact, they offer exceptional image quality and can be easily recessed into ceilings or positioned in other discrete locations.

Both models provide significant advantages for luxury retailers:

• The QND-8011 model delivers sharp images in 5MP resolution, making it perfect for overseeing small to medium-sized areas, such as merchandise counters and displays.

• The Hanwha Vision QNF-9010 fisheye camera allows for comprehensive store monitoring without blind spots, featuring a 360° field of view and crystal-clear imagery at 5MP resolution. Equipped with license-free analytics, these cameras detect suspicious activities in real-time, alerting security personnel to potential threats. They also offer valuable insights into customer flow, peak shopping hours, and high-traffic areas.

By combining these discreet cameras with Hanwha Vision offerings for Cloud, IP audio, and its Wisenet Video Management System (VMS), luxury retailers can establish a robust security framework that eliminates blind spots.

Controlling Access to Sensitive Areas

Restricting access to sensitive areas with high-value inventory and proprietary information is essential. A popular choice among luxury retailers for backroom locations, such as storage areas or warehouses, is the Hanwha Vision
TNV-C8011RW wall mount camera.

Entrances & Parking Lots

Most luxury retailers operate in upscale shopping malls or prime locations that attract affluent customers — think New York City’s Fifth Avenue, London’s Bond Street, or Rodeo Drive in California.

Consequently, the duty of securing parking lots or front entrances typically falls on the retail location operators or owners.

However, for luxury retailers that own and operate their own facilities, Hanwha Vision’s PNM-C16013RVQ, an AI-enabled mini multi-directional camera, or Hanwha Vision’s PNM-C12083RVD, a vandal-rated outdoor network camera featuring two channels with AI & IR in a dome form factor, are excellent options.

For larger parking lots, there are a number of valuable Hanwha Vision options, like our cameras with AI analytics for License Plate Recognition (LPR), and our Q Series fixed cameras.

The Q series fixed capture high-quality images over long distances with a narrow field of view (FOV), making them ideal for securing outdoor spaces around building perimeters where long-range surveillance is crucial. These cameras excel at capturing high-quality images over long distances with a narrow field of view, making them ideal for securing outdoor spaces around building perimeters where long-range surveillance is crucial.

Generating Key Insights to Boost Operational Efficiency

Hanwha Vision’s diverse range of AI-enabled cameras, and open platform approach can enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Here are some ways that retail and other sectors utilize AI surveillance beyond security:

• Better Understand Customer Preferences: Marketing teams analyze customer behavior to optimize in-store displays and promotions. Video footage offers valuable insights into the overall consumer experience. Hanwha Vision’s intelligent AI cameras can sync with other business Intelligence tools, complementing numerical data to provide a more accurate picture of business metrics.

• Addressing Workplace Challenges: AI video analytics help determine optimal staffing levels needed for exceptional customer service. In addition, high-resolution video footage and integrated audio can help HR pros to accurately reconstruct workplace incidents, ensuring fair and informed decision-making. For luxury retailers, accuracy is crucial when trying to balance the need to keep VIP shoppers happy and the importance of retaining top talent well-equipped to serve affluent clients, celebrities, etc.

• Mitigating Risk & Simplifying Compliance Reporting: Operations and legal teams use footage and data from AI-powered cameras to minimize risk and ensure compliance with regulations regarding accessibility, hygiene, and workplace safety. This not only helps avoid non-compliance lawsuits but also facilitates the preparation of necessary compliance or internal auditing reports.

• Reducing Bandwidth Costs: IT and data management teams benefit from Hanwha Vision’s edge-based AI, which processes data right at the camera level, leading to lower bandwidth and storage costs. The company’s video compression technology, WiseStream III, further enhances cost-efficiency by maintaining high video quality while significantly reducing data sizes.

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The Importance of The Right Security Partners

There are numerous companies within the Hanwha Vision STEP Partner Program that have proven track records of success in serving luxury retailers.

They change the strikethrough word to “offer” the expertise to install, maintain, and optimize Hanwha Vision’s solutions, including the latest AI and cloud innovations, integrating them seamlessly with existing security frameworks.

And, equally important, these firms understand exactly how to balance security, aesthetics, and consumer expectations when devising surveillance solutions.

Because in luxury retail, every detail matters.