Insecurity and merchandise losses pose a challenge for retail in Mexico, where the use of technological tools is becoming increasingly important to prevent risks, strengthen inventory control, and improve operational efficiency, according to Aideé Olvera, Distribution Manager for Latin America at Axis Communications .
Olvera referred to the 2024 National Survey of Victimization of Businesses (ENVE) by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) , where 31.5% of establishments in the commercial sector were victims of some crime during 2023. In that same year, the cost of insecurity and crime for the country’s economic units reached 124 billion 300 million pesos (mdp) .
These costs were in addition to 67.2 billion pesos allocated to preventive measures, reflecting the resources that companies must allocate to protect their operations.
In retail, this problem also involves strengthening control mechanisms over merchandise, identifying possible irregularities, and reducing losses that may occur within establishments.
Given this scenario, the integration of video surveillance systems with data analytics tools makes it possible to identify irregularities , monitor movements within establishments, and detect situations that may affect business operations.
“The real challenge for businesses lies not in accumulating hours of recording, but in connecting physical security with data analytics to anticipate operational risks, mitigate losses, and comprehensively optimize the customer experience in the store,” Olvera noted.
Beyond security
In addition to contributing to the prevention of theft and fraud , these technologies allow for the analysis of consumer flow, the identification of high-traffic areas, and the measurement of dwell times in certain areas, information that can be used to improve staff allocation and resource management.
They can also help detect long queues, congested spaces, or shelves that require restocking.
This data allows those in charge of the establishments to identify operational needs and make decisions about customer service and product availability, Olvera explained.
In this way, video surveillance ceases to be used exclusively as a security tool and can complement the monitoring and management mechanisms of businesses, by providing information to identify risks and improve their internal processes.
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