Chinese video-centric smart IoT and service provider Dahua Technology has launched a retail epidemic safety protection system to help retailers maintain safe operations and improve business efficiency during the pandemic.
 
There are also upgrade plans to increase RoI after business resumption.
 
Featuring thermal body temperature monitoring and customer flow control, the system combines two technologies enabled by AI to provide double value for retailers, assisting in slowing the spread of the virus while creating a safe in-store shopping experience for customers.
 
The thermal camera allows accurate body temperature monitoring to ±0.3˚C. With a built-in AI algorithm, it can simultaneously monitor a group of people from up to three-metres distance, enabling fast and non-contact access.
 
When installed at the entrances of supermarkets and shopping malls, it can help retailers with preliminary screening of employees and customers with abnormal body temperature. It notifies people to take corresponding measures before the temperatures change significantly, thereby enabling the appropriate protocol and conducting a second verification by medical professionals if necessary.
 
For retailers who require limited customer flow during the pandemic, the AI-empowered people counting camera can automatically and accurately calculate the real-time number of people entering the store, avoiding congestion and helping mitigate the spread of the pandemic.
 
When the number of shoppers exceeds the set value, the device will alarm and display on the digital signage at the entrance of the store that the number of people inside is full, reminding customers to wait at the door. No extra employees are needed to count customers manually at the door, which can help retailers reduce labour costs and improve their management efficiency.
 
A recent report from AP News shows that a lot of major non-essential retailers worldwide have been affected by Covid-19. According to Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, more than 190,000 stores have temporarily closed, accounting for nearly half of US retail square footage.
 
At the same time, Swedish fashion retailer H&M implied that after temporarily closing 3441 of its 5062 stores globally, it may be forced to lay off some employees permanently. How to survive during the pandemic and take effective prevention and control measures after work resumption has become a major consideration for retailers across the globe.