If you think that shoplifters only take food and clothes, think again. Camping Store, the popular European chain, acquired first-hand experience that a professional shoplifter can steal anything, from a pocket knife to a tent. Tired of theft, the management of the store in Lochristi decided to call experts for help.
The Camping Store is one of the largest European chains that sells travel gear for hikers. In the chain’s stores in France and Belgium one can find virtually any travel equipment made by man: sleeping bags, tents, compasses, binoculars, gas burners, cookware, foldable furniture, heaters, and much more. The chain sells anything from a snap hook to a port-a-potty, and The Camping Store is visited by thousands of people every day. But, as it turned out, not all of them were willing to pay for what they wanted to possess.
The Camping Store in Lochristi is one of the largest branches of the chain. Its area is more than 3500 square meters (37700 square feet), and the quantity of goods sold there is unimaginable for a layman. Moreover, in the end of June, 2019 one more Camping Store’s branch opened its doors in Evergem (Belgium). It is an even bigger store, boasting 5000 square meter (54000 square feet) retail area. The issue of shoplifting became bothersome, and to avoid dragging old problems to the new store, the Camping Store management decided to reinforce security and asked for the professional help.
The Connectify company located in Beernem (Belgium) proposed a comprehensive solution of the shoplifting problem. Initially, 50 IP cameras were installed on the store premises. The cameras were installed in such a way as to completely cover The Camping Store area, including warehouses and restricted areas.
Eocortex software with the Tracking intelligent module was chosen to control the cameras. And it was done for a reason.
The Tracking module allows to perform the perimeter monitoring of a given area and receive notifications in case a border line is crossed. It is possible to find corresponding alarm events and the relevant video fragments in the archive. Moreover, the Tracking module allows to keep an eye on the objects whose parameters were entered in the system by its operator.
During the very first days of operation, the Eocortex software demonstrated its capabilities. The store employees got actual data regarding the goings-on, shoplifting, etc. The array of statistical data helped to improve goods representation, and the alarm messages regarding the breaching of warehouse borders sent to the mobile phones of the employees allowed to promptly respond to the theft attempts.
Additionally, the availability of the Connectify dome cameras affected the behavior of the visitors. The dome camera has no visible lens. Without knowing where the lens is pointed, a visitor considers himself under constant surveillance. And if such a visitor is a shoplifter, he or she will think twice before attempting to steal something from the store.
Since the Eocortex licenses are paid for only once and do not require any additional payments or a subscription, it is safe to say that The Camping Store has already recouped its investments into the new video surveillance system many times.