Mission
Kjell & Company is Sweden's fourth fastest growing brand name in the Swedish retail sector. Its number of stores during the 2004 to 2009 period has increased from 9 to 46. Kjell & Company's stores have over 7,000 items in stock, and well-functioning surveillance is certainly needed in order to ensure safety and security for the personnel. Kjell & Company was looking for a cost-effective system with great flexibility and the best possible image quality.
Solution
Kjell & Company evaluated a number of video surveillance systems and came to the conclusion that network cameras from Axis Communications met the company's requirements best. The AXIS P3301 Network Camera was chosen. A Kjell & Company store has, on average, 7-8 cameras for surveillance of the check-out area, entrances and exits, as well as the store grounds and the store room.
The IP-based cameras from Axis were connected to Kjell & Company's existing network and IT system, a solution which has many advantages including easy installation, scalability, and the ability to move the cameras around easily.
Result
Axis' surveillance cameras improve security when handling cash and this in turn increases the safety for those who work in the stores. The use of digital technology makes for considerably better image quality, and when incidents occur, they can be resolved more easily than with analog systems. Kjell & Company now deploys this state-of-the-art IP surveillance system in all its new stores opened each year, and gradually replaces older systems in existing stores.
Cost-effective system
Kjell & Company already had existing software for managing network cameras. However, surveillance cameras with better image quality than the old cameras could deliver were needed. Kjell & Company had a clear-cut list of requirements. The surveillance cameras should deliver good image quality, be easy to install and move, and be able to be angled according to need. The AXIS P3301 Network Camera was chosen. Kjell & Company also wanted to be able to update all of the cameras across Sweden centrally via the main office. "With Axis network cameras we can install a camera and save the basic settings in order to then apply these settings to all cameras in all of our stores at the same time. Being able to update all of the cameras in one go saves us an enormous amount of time and gives us a cost-effective system," explains Erik Ljungdahl, IT Technician at Kjell & Company.
Another important advantage of Axis network cameras is the ability to be able to angle them. Kjell & Company's stores have differing layouts, and the challenge lies in being able to install a camera in the proper way and at the same time get a good overall view of the store premises. "Kjell & Company chose AXIS P3301, a robust camera with compact design and high image quality, which we have designed for demanding indoor installations. The AXIS P3301 also has Axis' latest processor, which means that Kjell & Company is now saving bandwidth and storage with the H.264 compression standard. The camera is also prepared for use with modern applications for intelligent video analysis,"says Magnus Zederfeldt, Axis Sales Manager for Scandinavia and the Baltics.
"Since Axis network cameras maintain high quality and are compatible with all IT systems, we can rely on a future-proof solution" |
Flexible future
Kjell & Company, which is one of Sweden's fastest growing chain stores, currently has 46 stores in 26 cities and their goal is to maintain their high store opening rate in Sweden, but also in the long run establish themselves abroad. When a new Kjell & Company store is built, Axis network cameras are installed and easily connected to the existing system. With the help of Power over Ethernet (PoE), the cameras are installed quickly, and the need for separate power supplies and heavy space-consuming hardware is eliminated.
The solution can quickly be adapted according to varying needs. "Our strategy is to continually install Axis network cameras, because in the future we want to be able to switch over to any different kind of software. Since Axis network cameras maintain high quality and are compatible with all IT systems, we can rely on a future-proof solution," says Martin Knutson, IT Director at Kjell & Company.
Increased benefit with Axis cameras
According to an analysis conducted in the fall of 2009 by the HUI (Swedish Retail Institute) at the request of Axis, nine out of ten store owners are positive toward camera surveillance. Nine out of ten companies have chosen to install surveillance cameras in order to prevent and investigate thefts and shopliftings more easily.
With improved image quality, Kjell & Company has gained a greater ability to identify people at entrances and exits, as well as see details in connection with money handling at check-out. The recorded material can be accessed from Kjell & Company's central network. Store managers are authorised to access the recordings from their store, regional managers can see the recordings from stores in their region and authorised IT personnel have access to recorded material from all Kjell & Company stores. The recorded material is saved for the amount of time that is legally permitted, and the police can request and be given access to the recordings when an incident occurred.
However, Kjell & Company does not solely use the Axis network cameras for store security. The network cameras are also a future investment from a profitability perspective. The cameras' ability to count visitors gives Kjell & Company an effective tool for compiling statistics and analyzing customer flows, best sellers, hot zones, and more. "By using the cameras in this way, we can actively work on improving the layout of the stores, and present our selection of products in the best way. This means that the surveillance system fulfills another important function - it helps us boost sales," concludes Martin Knutson.
