For the
average person watching people come and go from a retail store, a sporting
event or even a hotel lobby, the movements can seem random, with no apparent
pattern behind them.
But for
those who are deploying the latest in video analytics, those same
travels within a defined space can be tracked and analyzed to allow store
operators, arena owners and hoteliers to make key business decisions related to
merchandising, personnel positioning and, of course, security.
Heat mapping — one of the newest analytic
tools available — provides a visual interpretation of traffic patterns.
The movements of those people who appear to be merely walking through the store
are now captured and analyzed, and the resulting data can be looked at more
closely.
This becomes
important in a retail setting as stores look to maximize the
effectiveness of their displays and increase overall store performance. A
promotion may seem successful on paper, but if no one can find the display
within the store, or they don’t stop to really look at it, then sales will
suffer. Heat mapping can show retailers the traffic patterns within the store
and help them determine where the items should be placed.
Beyond
displays, stores and venues can also use heat mapping to help them
determine where to place permanent items such as ATMs. It may seem
logical to put the machine at the entrance, but if the goal is to get people into
the building, and heat mapping shows that people use the machine but then turn
away, it may be better to place it within the facility.
Closely
aligned with heat mapping is another analytics tool that helps make sense of
the traffic analytics. Once it’s established where and how people are moving
within a retail venue, the next move is to see how long they dwell or
linger within the area, checking out the products on display.
Looking at
the retail example, once the display is in its optimal location, the goal is to
get shoppers to look at the products being sold and make a purchase. Dwell data
tells us how long someone is stationary; linger does the same, but the person
is usually milling about, rather than standing in one spot.
By
integrating dwell and linger information with Point Of Sale data, it is
possible to determine how many people stopped in front of the display for
several seconds, or moved within the general area, are converted to buyers.
Dwell and
linger data can also be used to determine how to assign personnel within an
area. If
analytics show that people are milling in a specific spot within a store, it
may be necessary to send over a salesperson to offer assistance or, in the case
of hotel, an additional desk clerk. Analytics that show a group gathering for a
pre-determined period of time could also be a sign that security needs to check
out what is going on as it could indicate suspicious behavior, such as a shelf
sweep.
Of course,
all this information won’t be of much good if it isn’t easy for the system’s
user to retrieve and analyze the data. While security personnel are familiar
with analytics, it may be new to those on the operations side. But today’s
analytics are tailored in such a way that the information is accessible to
everyone, no matter their IT expertise and no matter the size of the operation.
- See more
at: http://www.memphiscommunications.net/blog/#sthash.jJZ02daZ.dpuf
For more details please contact us at:
Memphis Communications
Corporation
4771 Summer Ave
Memphis, TN 38122
Tel: 901.725.9271
Fax:
901.272.3577
Toll Free: 866.805.5893
Service and
Supplies: 901.257.2500
Website: http://www.memphiscommunications.net
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