Wilson of Smoke Rise Bottle Shoppe has discovered a solution. He has installed infrared sensors around his store, about three feet out from the walls. They are set chest-high so they aren't triggered by animals. Wilson turns them on at night. "If someone crosses those sensors' beams, alarms and lights go off – and they run off before they break the win- dow," said Wilson, who can watch exact- ly what happened because it's recorded by his camera system. "It goes off about one to three times a year. I'm sure my neighbors love it, but it's been a great deterrent." It cost Wilson about $2,000 to put the sensors around his entire 13,000-square-foot building. "It also stops them from trying the doors or from climbing to the roof to break in from there," he added.
The security camera systems from 3xLogic can be upgraded to do what is called "video analytics."
about the positive feedback, and two, they realize, 'Holy cow, they're watching.'"
The systems from 3xLogic can be upgraded to do what is called "video analytics." One aspect of video analytics is when a store's system automatically sends an alert, a text message or an email, with a picture, to a manager's mobile device, when it senses that an event has occurred. The second aspect of video ana- lytics is reporting. The systems can be used to provide detailed reporting on things such as the wait times at the check-out and even which ways customers go when they travel through the store. Though these capabilities are expensive, 3xLogic's Davis reported that retailers with as few as five to 10 locations are using them.
Infrared Sensors
Most every store, large and small, in all kinds of retail, has sensors on its windows that sound an alarm when the window is smashed. The problem is: the alarms don't sound until the window, which can cost thousands of dollars to replace, has been smashed.
Electronic article surveillance (EAS) system tags, from Checkpoint Systems, which work in tandem with the company's EAS system located at the store's exit.
10 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • July/August 2012
Another security development of interest to liquor retailers is the bottle lock. These are most often used with an electronic article surveillance (EAS) sys- tem, such as from Checkpoint. These are the systems that sound an alarm if a customer exits the store with an item whose electronic tag (or bottle lock) has not been deactivated at the check-out. Instead of using a plain EAS tag, liquor retailers can
