Brazil. Commercial establishments that have practical measures in place to prevent Covid-19 tend to earn the preference of Brazilian consumers when it comes to shopping. This is what an Opinion Box survey revealed about the factors that influence the decision to buy seats.
The result of the survey shows that the threat that the disease advances makes consumers more cautious and seeks a safer, more hygienic environment in the physical market, capable of avoiding crowds of people and ensuring that all visitors comply with the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the use of masks and social distance.
In addition to the measures to prevent Covid-19, the new coronavirus pandemic made it imperative for Brazilians to opt for empty supermarkets, shops, shopping centers, pharmacies and restaurants, without crowds and with greater hygiene. The most regular criteria for choosing a place to buy, such as price and promotion, are still on the list of priorities of Brazilians.
This change in consumer behavior imposes on Brazilian retailers the need to adapt already in this phase of the gradual process of commercial reopening and also in the post-pandemic. The sector, which is one of the most affected by the pandemic, with losses of more than R $ 200 billion, according to the CNC (National Confederation of Commerce), will need to use resources to keep it operational and competitive, but with the security that Brazilians expect.
"The need to wear masks and occupancy monitoring will require sophisticated solutions such as those provided by artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. They will not only be used to help reinforce the need to manage mask wearing and space occupancy, but also as analytical and intelligence tools to take appropriate action to ensure post-pandemic security." This is what José Larrucea, RealNetworks' Senior Vice President of International Sales for Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, observes.
Technology Solutions for Secure Retail
Also according to the expert, the algorithms of a Facial Recognition tool allow the practice of secure retail, monitoring the interaction of customers with points of sale, generating heat maps, identifying points of high density of people or high performance of a certain activity.
See AI solutions for secure retail practice:
• Distancing, Mask Detection and Alert
Crowd analysis to monitor social distance in accordance with WHO safety guidelines, including the percentage of faces with and without masks and the activation of visual or auditory alerts if they do not wear a protective mask.
• Anonymous Demographic Analysis
Dashboard with demographic data of age, gender and sensation of faces detected anonymously, that is, without collecting or storing individual information. This data can provide insights for the areas of sales and marketing, but mainly, help the managers of establishments to better serve people of an age considered in the Covid-19 risk group.
• Additional Authentication with April Tag
In addition to facial recognition, establishments can use AprilTag technology to increase the security of access to private places without the need for physical contact, since the AprilTag code and face, even with a mask, are identified and recognized by the cameras without any contact or additional reading equipment.
AprilTag (badge) was developed by the AprilTags Visual Fiducial System project at the University of Michigan (USA).
• Contactless Access Control
Employees and consumers can authenticate to access private areas without the need for physical contact and remove personal protective equipment, such as masks, for example.
• Video Monitoring Even of People with Masks
Even in the context of the pandemic, establishments, cities and any environment through which people circulate must maintain high levels of security. Facial recognition systems with artificial intelligence provide high levels of accuracy even if the person is wearing a mask, glasses, makeup, cap, among other accessories that can occlude part of the face, allowing immediate alerts of security threats.
For complete information about the study, download the infographic at https://es.safr.com/infografia-minorista
