Shorten your checkout lines to enhance customer experience

September 2019 Retail (Industry), Surveillance

Today’s shoppers have less time than ever to get their grocery shopping done, and they expect a fast and easy purchasing experience. So how do you keep waiting times to a minimum and react quickly to growing checkout lines? Intelligent queue detection technology could be the answer.

Long checkout lines are damaging customer relationships

Waiting to pay is a huge problem for retailers and shoppers alike. Customers who find themselves in a seemingly endless line may grow intensely frustrated, to the point that they abandon the store.

In fact, a recent study from Forrester Research and Digimarc stated that long lines are one of the main reasons for shopping abandonment. To avoid wasting time, more than half of shoppers will spend less money in a store, or even walk away entirely.

Shorten your lines with queue detection technology

To tackle this problem, many forward-thinking retailers are using queue detection technology to keep track of lines in real time during the checkout process.

Queue detection technology uses cameras to count the number of people in a line, to a predetermined threshold. Once the threshold of customers has been reached, and if more customers are continuing to wait, the system alerts store management to open new checkouts.

New customers, increased revenues and smarter staffing

Given the importance that customers place on a fast checkout process, reducing wait times is a key investment opportunity. Retailers that boost checkout efficiency can not only please their existing customers, but also entice new customers who may have avoided shopping there previously.

Customers may also spend more money if checkout is faster. In a study by Oracle, 94% of respondents stated that they buy food and beverages at sporting events – and 58% of these respondents said they would spend even more money if they didn’t have to wait in lines.

What’s more, over time, queue detection technology can enable managers to improve the operational efficiency of a store. Armed with new insight into the typical throughput of customers at different times, managers can scale staffing levels up and down accordingly.

Hikvision: the market leader in queue detection

Hikvision’s queue detection technology is purpose-built to offer cutting-edge flow analysis to retail outlets, including supermarkets, exhibition halls, chain stores and any situation where waiting to pay is required. Embedded into our high definition cameras, and powered by Deep Learning algorithms, this easy-to-use technology is highly accurate at counting people, and can even recognise different individuals and their specific dwell time.

Store management can set thresholds for the maximum number of people in an area – be it the checkout, or elsewhere – as well as for the longest stay duration of a single person. Once a threshold is exceeded, the system will immediately alert managers so they can take appropriate action.


Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Surveillance on the perimeter
Axis Communications SA Hikvision South Africa Technews Publishing Editor's Choice Perimeter Security, Alarms & Intruder Detection
Cameras have long been a feature in perimeter security, with varying reports of success and failure, often dependent on the cameras’ planning, installation and configuration, as well as their integration with other perimeter solutions and centralised management platforms.

Read more...
The AX Hybrid PRO Series offers reliable wired and wireless protection
Hikvision South Africa Editor's Choice Perimeter Security, Alarms & Intruder Detection Products & Solutions
Hikvision has announced the launch of a new AX Hybrid PRO alarm system with innovative Hikvision ‘Speed-X’ transmission technology. This system offers reliable wired protection while delivering expanded flexibility with seamless wireless integration.

Read more...
Easy, secure access for student apartments
Paxton Access Control & Identity Management Surveillance
Enhancing Security and Convenience at Beau Vie II Student Accommodation, a student apartment block located at Banghoek Road, Stellenbosch, with Paxton's access control and video management solution

Read more...
SMART Surveillance at the Indaba
SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Surveillance Videos
SMART Security Solutions hosted its second SMART Surveillance conference, focusing on a range of topics related to the video surveillance market, on July 11th, 2024, at the Indaba Conference Centre in Fourways.

Read more...
Horn speakers from Sunell
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Horn speakers are an effective tool for actively deterring intruders from entering estates. By emitting loud, clear audio warnings, horn speakers can alert trespassers that they have been detected and are being monitored.

Read more...
Sunell’s range of thermal cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Thermal cameras offer significant value to estate security. Their ability to provide reliable surveillance in all lighting and weather conditions ensures continuous monitoring, providing a constant sense of security and reducing the likelihood of security breaches.

Read more...
Integrating radar and surveillance
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
Integrating radar with CCTV video systems significantly enhances estate security by providing long-range threat detection and comprehensive monitoring capabilities. This combination leverages the strengths of both technologies, offering several key benefits.

Read more...
Sunell anti-corrosion cameras
Forbatt SA Products & Solutions Surveillance Residential Estate (Industry)
With Sunell’s anti-corrosion range of cameras, the initial investment in anti-corrosion CCTV cameras may be higher than standard cameras, but the long-term benefits outweigh the upfront costs.

Read more...
Latest AI solution to manage guards
DeepAlert Products & Solutions Surveillance AI & Data Analytics
No guard at the guardhouse? Guard under duress? Guard asleep? DeepAlert’s AI technology delivers real-time alerts to mobile phones and video management systems, helping you manage your guards more effectively.

Read more...
Global video surveillance market returns to growth
Editor's Choice Surveillance News & Events
A report from Novaira Insights reveals that the global market for video surveillance hardware and software experienced a 3.4% growth in 2023, and is projected to grow by 8.4% in 2024.

Read more...