Retailers in Europe are beginning to warm to the idea of network video surveillance and video content analysis, with a number highlighting 2008 as the year that they will begin rolling out new installations and pilot programs.  In its latest vertical insight report on the use of video surveillance in the European retail sector, IMS Research estimated that there was an installed base of 35,000 network cameras in 2007.  This number is forecast to grow rapidly in the next few years and top 200,000 by 2012.

Paul Everett, the report author at IMS Research commented, “Retailers are always looking at new ways to improve business performance.  With network video, retailers can substantially reduce installation costs compared with analogue CCTV systems, by taking advantage of the Power over Ethernet (PoE) feature of many network cameras.  At the same time, retailers with multiple store locations are starting to use network video surveillance systems to transmit the video feeds from multiple stores back to a central location.  The ability to monitor a large number of sites from one central location offers retailers further savings potential and is boosting growth in network video.”

Network cameras with megapixel technology are also starting to shine through in the retail sector, further heightening the trend to network video.  An increasing number of retailers are selecting megapixel cameras as they offer improved picture quality compared to traditional analogue CCTV cameras which are limited by the PAL/NTSC standard.  This is becoming increasingly important to retailers who are looking to get clearer, crisper images at cash registers to identify customer theft and cashier fraud.

With network video, retailers have a tried and tested solution which has been around for some time now.  The progress that network video has made in recent years is now enabling new technologies such as video analytics to break through; a trend that IMS Research predicts will take off in the retail sector in the next few years.

There are multiple applications for video analytics in the retail sector.  The technology can be used to improve security, as a loss prevention tool, to detect slip and fall incidents, and to improve business intelligence.  While all applications are forecast to grow quickly, IMS Research predicts that business intelligence will be the driving force behind video analytics in retail.  The retail sector is becoming increasingly competitive so retailers are turning to video analytics to gain valuable insights into customer shopping behavior that can potentially increase sales, and to improve operational efficiency.