POS-Based Security Solution Lives Up to Expectations for Independent Grocer
Independent grocers face a tough business environment — they are typically faced with severe competition from national chains, price erosion and rising overhead, not to mention business related issues of food spoilage, sourcing, employee matters and loss prevention.
To beat the odds in this tough environment, one independent business owner is using technology. John Troyer, co-owner and CEO of a family-run grocery market and food processing facility in Berlin, Ohio, has learned that, along with a sense of humor, an integrated technology solution can help handle many of the day-to-day issues. His store, Troyer Country Market, has recently implemented a total end-to-end retail solution from Panasonic including Point-of-Sale (POS) workstations, scales/scanners, POS Printers, video surveillance cameras, network recording devices, digital signage and retail management software.
“Staying competitive means more than offering low prices or unique food specialties,” Troyer says. “It means ensuring our back-of-store operations are efficient and effective and support a positive customer experience at checkout and throughout the store. Being able to automate and enhance these procedures and processes saves us time and money and helps us to stay on top of the game.”
For guidance in selecting security equipment, Troyer turned to Terry Selkirk of Genesis POS Solutions. In addition to discussing equipment options, it was suggested that Troyer consider a total solution that would be scalable, network-based and be capable of seamlessly integrating all systems from both the store and an adjacent warehouse and manufacturing facility.
“I liked the idea of tying the POS system to a security system for a complete solution,” Troyer says. “You can get cutting-edge electronics equipment that will increase efficiency and take your store to the next level.”
In particular, the Panasonic POS systems featured an all-in-one compact design, and the workstation’s open platform meant that Troyer had the option of using whatever retail software best suited his needs. Genesis did an on-site store evaluation and proposed a network-based system that included cameras for video surveillance, network recorders for recording and archiving the video, digital signage for in-store marketing, and a complete POS package including Panasonic’s Lite-ray workstations with card swipe terminals, as well as monitors, scanners and Aloha Data Systems’ retail management software package StoreTender.
Phase one of the project included provisioning the network and completing the installation of the video surveillance and POS system in the store. Phase two will include installation of the video surveillance system in the warehouse/manufacturing facility and integrating it with the store’s system.
Troyer can view quality streaming video from any of the cameras. He can also view any POS transaction complete with video, including time, date and specific cash terminal. And because the POS system is tied into the inventory control system, he has a more accurate picture of what items are moving and when to order more.
“It is tailored to our needs rather than being a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solution,” Troyer says. “The equipment is easy to use and the staff was up to speed very quickly. We are moving customers much faster through the checkout and there is improved management control of the store.”
Sacramento Mall Deploys HD Surveillance System
Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, Calif., has deployed the Avigilon HD Surveillance System as a key component of its security initiative aimed at reducing crime and increasing patron safety. Committed to excellence in customer service, the goal is to ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for its 10 million annual visitors.
“Using Avigilon Control Center Enterprise software, we can retrieve clear, readable, and indisputable evidence, which has led to a 60 percent reduction in auto theft and a 90-percent prosecution rate,” says Steve Reed, a former Sacramento Police Department officer and the manager of Security and Guest Services at Arden Fair Mall. Arden Fair Mall manages the HD Surveillance System using the supplier’s Control Center Enterprise Network Video Management Software (NVMS) with HD Stream Management, which was built from the ground up to manage HD surveillance video.
The mall installed Avigilon HD 2 MP cameras to monitor entrances, several HD 16 MP cameras to monitor parking lots and all access points, a 180-degree Panoramic HD Dome Camera to monitor the play area, and an HD 5 MP camera to monitor the security and guest services area — the mall’s hub.
Avigilon analog video encoders were installed to improve the performance of the mall’s existing analog cameras, though Reed has plans to transition the entire system as budget allows. Three Avigilon Network Video Recorders store 40 days of continuous surveillance footage.
Restaurant Curbs Internal Theft with Remote Surveillance
The Boulevard Café, a San Francisco Bay Area restaurant, has thwarted an internal theft problem while protecting the well-being of its customers using a video surveillance system anchored by Pelco’s DX8100 DVR and mobiDEOS Inc.’s MobileCamViewer.
“It makes me feel more secure because I’m able to oversee my business without physically being there,” says restaurant owner Billy Panos.
From the camera footage relayed by the DVR to his mobile phone on MobileCamViewer, Panos was able to see that drinks were being given away free from the bar — and he put an end to the situation. “Bartenders are now no longer giving away drinks for free, which has probably saved the company hundreds or even thousands of dollars,” he says.
Panos uses the system to monitor and control his 22 Pelco and third-party PTZ cameras located throughout the restaurant’s interior and exterior from virtually anywhere using his iPhone. With the number of employees Panos has, he says it was imperative to have video security available to him remotely to deter the theft of not only liquor, but also food and money.
“Surveillance systems and the mobile apps that work with them are worth their weight in gold,” Panos says. “Once I started using them, I wondered how I got by without it.”
Goodwill Uses Video to Solve Loss Prevention Issues
Goodwill Industries International may be one of America’s oldest charities, but like all retail outlets, the stores suffer from shrinkage, especially at the point-of-sale. Goodwill also experiences theft at its unattended drop-off sites where donors deposit items for re-sale. Confronted with this predicament, Goodwill’s Northwest-North Carolina (NWNC) chapter recently took the proactive step of migrating from analog CCTV systems to Toshiba IP video surveillance in 40 local stores. The extensive, year-long migration began when Versa Technologies Inc., a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based solutions provider, was installing a Toshiba business communication system in the chapter’s newly built Regional Operations Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Goodwill’s loss prevention team told Versa that the chapter had lately opened up a number of stores in more upscale communities and was looking for a retail theft solution. Versa used the opportunity to introduce Goodwill to IP video surveillance, and the LP team recognized the potential of network cameras after a successful deployment at its regional operations center.
Versa recommended the deployment of an IP camera/NVR system in each store over existing data networks that could be accessed remotely by the LP team back at Goodwill headquarters. Toshiba IK-WB21A PTZ cameras provide high-resolution sweeps of the sales floor in case of suspicious activity, while fixed Toshiba IK-WB30A day/night IP cameras were installed to watch the checkout areas, as well as to monitor the drop-off boxes from inside the store. Outside, Toshiba IK-WB02A cameras protected by environmental housings were installed to watch the boxes. Each store has a total of 10-13 Toshiba IP cameras.
Versa also installed a Toshiba 16-channel NVS network video recorder in each store equipped with Surveillix TransCapture POS software, which provides Goodwill managers with needed security at every cash register. With just a few simple clicks, the manager has immediate access to all transaction and video information.
Wal-Mart Pharmacies Feature New Locks
Alarm Lock is supplying its Trilogy T2 DL2700 to a major procurement company that supplies Walmart General Contractors nationwide. The locks are used in the pharmacy for access control. By using the Alarm Lock T2, Walmart will save on costly repairs and service issues and will be installing them in nearly several hundred more remodeled stores in the coming months.
