Is the high street dying or just evolving? The demise of Mothercare and the disappearance of other major names such as Thomas Cook would suggest another tough year, writes Camilla Kirkham, Director of Sales, Security and AV at Nimans.
Brexit uncertainty and high rents and overheads have made many businesses come under further pressure but the reality is lots of retailers continue to flourish in certain areas โ and thereโs never been a better or busier time to work in CCTV. Online shopping is having a major impact but the majority of people are still using stores. Thereโs one particular sports retailer where 60 per cent of its business is based on cash transactions and it will always remain on the high street. Having a strong brand identity is the key to success. Look at Selfridges and Harrods for example. Itโs about creating an appealing shopping experience.
Not just about stopping theft
Overall in terms of the major retailers and supermarkets, home deliveries and click and collect account for less than 15pc of all business as people still want to go in store and check sell-by dates of groceries and see things first hand et cetera. In terms of economic pressures, one of the first consequences is people earn less money which means โshrinkโ goes up. So this means investment goes up in security. Retailers have to protect what they have got and protect their profits. But CCTV is not just about stopping theft. One of the biggest challenges is how to upgrade their old analogue infrastructure so they can take advantage of the latest IP technologies and the major security manufacturers such as Hanwha and Hikvision have developed solutions that enable them to bridge the gap rather having to rip out and replace cabling which can be very costly.
Business intelligence
Marketing and analytics are playing a more crucial role to understand customer behaviour. Business intelligence helps reduce queuing times at peak periods. It could be health and safety too. Proving something didnโt happen rather than it did such as a fake insurance claim. The key is to create a specific solution to a problem rather than the other way around. Overall thereโs still life on the high street in certain sectors and demand for security cameras and wider technologies has never been so strong.
