Russian retailer X5 Retail Group is set to introduce a new video analytics system to monitor checkout queues at its Perekrestok supermarkets.
The group carried out a series of tests in 55 supermarkets in Moscow and St. Petersburg as part of a trial run, and is now set to roll out the solution across its store network.
How It Works
The system is being implemented in association with Yandex, a leading Moscow-based technology provider.
To view real-time checkout data at their local Perekrestok store, shoppers need to access a dedicated section of the Yandex.Maps website, to view an assessment of the current situation, graded according to three standards: 'no queue', 'moderate queue', and 'large queue'.
Through the platform, Perekrestok's AI technology provides a real-time analysis of the number of individuals standing in checkout queues, as well as the level of activity at tills and the current cashier workload.
Utilising 3-D imaging, the system monitors the movement and length of any given queue, and calculates the anticipated waiting and service time for each customer.
An automatic notification appears when certain specified parameters are exceeded for factors such as waiting time and number of people in the queue.
The system will also be available as part of the Yandex.Maps and Yandex.Navigator web apps in the near future, the retailer said.
Timely Solution
Commenting on the development of the platform, X5 Retail Group added that the rollout of the platform is particularly timely given the current coronavirus concerns.
'In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, this service gives every customer the opportunity to monitor queues in real time and choose the best hours for visiting a store to maintain social distancing,' it said.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
