Checkpoint launches solution to help store managers track real-time occupancy

Technology-driven integrated solution provider for retail, Checkpoint Systems has unveiled a system that tracks real-time in-store occupancy.

The New Jersey-based firm's new solution will help retailers view in-store occupancy levels and receive alerts in real-time.

The SmartOccupancy solution is designed for stores with an occupancy limit or those with high shrink rates. In retail parlance, shrink rate refers to a loss in inventory. This is mostly due to theft, fraud and cashier errors. 

The solution helps retail associates view the number of shoppers currently in a store in real-time. This helps managers deploy staff efficiently and minimise theft. 

The solution counts the number of people entering and exiting a store and sends an alert to staff when the store is close to maximum capacity. 

Employees and managers can access the information online or via an in-store tablet and react in real-time to live occupancy numbers.

The company says a visual colour indicator on the tablet enables staff to instantly recognise when a breach in the occupancy threshold is about to occur.

Until now, retailers had to control the occupancy of their stores manually and, in some cases, hire additional staff or security guards. The new solution helps retailers make decisions based on data trends in the cloud, allowing them to adjust staffing levels and guarding hours.

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely hit the retail segment, given the lockdowns in India and several other countries. Recently, in a report by Singapore-based Capillary Technologies, a software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based platform that focuses on retailers said, retail sales in India can easily recover from the first week of May, if the Covid-19 lockdown is not extended.

However, the 21-day lockdown, which was announced by prime minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to contain the pandemic, has been extended to May 3.