Top 5 Use Cases of Computer Vision in Retail in 2024

Computer vision (CV) can be called the “eyes” of artificial intelligence (AI). It is revolutionizing almost every sector in the world, including retail. As more organizations recognize the potential of computer vision, they are investing more in improving their computer vision capabilities. The global computer vision market is projected to grow more than 300% to $41 billion by 2030 from $9 billion in 2020.

This article explores the top use cases of computer vision in the retail sector that can help business leaders in better decision-making.

1. Improving store layout

With in-store computer vision-enabled cameras, retail store managers can track the movement of customers to identify patterns and repetitive behavior. This information can be used to mark hot areas and place relevant products to improve sales.

Through computer vision, retail store managers can gather information such as:

• Which area of the store has the most traffic?
• The average time a customer takes to complete a purchase
• Is the time of the day associated with product purchase?
• Which products have the highest put-backs?

Example:

Samsung uses computer vision to track customer movement in their retail stores.

If you are a CPG (consumer packaged goods) producer and cannot purchase expensive CV-powered machines, you can also work with a service provider to manage the retail end of your supply chain. Here is a list of services that offer retail and planogram audits.

2. Inventory management

Computer vision is being used to improve efficiency in omnichannel retail systems. Smart cameras and sensor systems are used to track inventory levels and products on shelves in real-time.

For example, Sam’s Club, an American retail company, is using inventory scanning robots to track and share information on inventory levels, price accuracy, product location, etc.

3. Automated stores

The increasing trend towards customer service automation is also leading to greater use of computer vision systems for automated checkout systems in retail stores.

Computer vision systems enable in-store cameras and sensors to track products, shelves, and customers with accuracy. The system based on CV and AI automatically charges the customer for the marked products upon their exit from the store.

Example:

Amazon Go is an excellent example of automated or cashier-less retail stores. These automated walkout stores are being considered as the future of the convenience store market, and according to Forbes, they will revolutionize the retail sector. The stores use computer vision and AI technology to automate customer checkouts fully.

Similarly, an autonomous convenience store at San José State University uses AI and computer vision with no facial recognition for higher customer privacy and faster checkouts.

Check our article on hyperautomation in retail for more examples.

4. Retail theft prevention

Computer vision systems also help in preventing shoplifting by tracking each product and the customer’s behavior.

Example:

Vaak Eye is a shoplifting prevention system based on computer vision and is installed with retail store cameras. The system observes customer behavior to identify potential shoplifting activities.

Walmart is also using AI-enabled surveillance cameras to eliminate shoplifting from their stores:

5. Smartphones for barcode scanning

Computer vision-enabled smartphone apps are also being used in the retail sector. One of the most important applications is obtaining product information in brick and mortar stores that are normally available online, like product reviews and detailed information.

Similarly, tasks such as counting inventory and searching for products can also be performed through computer vision-enabled smartphone applications.

Example:

Samsung devices provide similar solutions based on computer vision and AR to improve retail operations and customer experience.

To find the option that best suits your annotation needs, you can also check our sortable and filterable list of:

• Data Annotation / Labelling / Tagging / Classification Service
• Video Annotation Tools
• Medical Image Annotation Tool
• Image Recognition Software

Further reading

• Computer Vision in-Depth Guide
• Top 7 Computer Vision Use Cases in Healthcare
• Data Annotation: What it is, Why it matters, and Implementations

If you have any questions regarding computer vision in retail, please don’t hesitate to reach out: