Why Convenience Stores & Gas Station Owners Need Modern AI Video Surveillance Solutions

Operating convenience stores and gas stations is always challenging.

Owners recognize that late-night hours and substantial cash transactions inherently increase the risk of theft, vandalism, and other criminal activities.

Today, traditional CCTV systems are still frequently used in these environments due to their cost-effectiveness and ability to capture video footage. However, they are far from ideal for various reasons, most notably, that they fail to provide actionable insights or proactive security solutions. This is why many successful multi-store operators chose Hanwha Vision’s AI-powered surveillance technologies. They have found, time and again, that choosing Hanwha Vision and working with our highly-experienced partners can deliver essential advantages, such as:

• Higher levels of deterrence against threats
• Enhanced safety for both customers and employees
• Decreased shrinkage from gas and product theft
• Boosted profitability
• Exceptional customer experiences

Below, we have outlined how easy it is to integrate Hanwha Vision’s AI-enabled solutions into a convenience store or gas station’s security architecture. And, how these solutions help business owners to protect what matters most – their customers and employees.

Key Solutions Used

Public viewing monitors, various AI-enabled cameras including vandal-resistant dome and bullet-style, multi-sensor panoramic, thermal, dual light with infrared (IR) covert & discreet (door jam & height strip cameras), License Plate Recognition (LPR), IR Audio.

Outdoors & Entryways

Securing Parking Lots

Convenience stores and gas stations attract hundreds, if not thousands, of customers to their parking lots daily. To ensure safety, begin by installing bright LED lights that provide consistent illumination throughout the entire area. Collaborate with a trusted contractor to position lights at the optimal heights and distances to eliminate blind spots, particularly in high-risk zones such as entrances, exits, and pedestrian pathways.

Incorporate advanced surveillance systems like Hanwha Vision’s PNM-C16013RVQ, an AI-enabled mini multi-directional camera, or Hanwha Vision’s PNM-C12083RVD, an outdoor vandal-rated network camera featuring 2 channels, with AI & IR in a dome camera form factor.

Another smart and cost-efficient choice is the Hanwha Vision T series wall mount camera, which gives you an eye-level viewing angle to detect details that might be obstructed when using traditional surveillance mounting positions. The wall mount camera’s panoramic lens provides a nearly 180° field of view while capturing detailed 5MP resolution video for better object identification.

Also, consider Hanwha Vision’s Q Series fixed cameras, which excel at capturing high-quality images over long distances with a narrow field of view, making them ideal for securing outdoor spaces around building perimeters where long-range monitoring is essential.

These camera types feature license-free, edge-based AI analytics that can detect potential threats at the earliest signs, including real-time object and vehicle detection, as well as recognizing individuals attempting to conceal their faces or displaying suspicious behaviors indicative of theft or aggression.

Creating a safe and inviting environment for your customers begins with understanding who visits your facility and having access to real-time, trackable information about your visitors.

Outdoors & Entryways

Smart Solutions for Entrances & Exits

Utilizing intelligent high-definition public viewing monitors with Hanwha Vision’s discreet camera kits at all entrances and exits can be a beneficial and cost-effective strategy to deter crime.

Hanwha Vision’s specialty compact camera housings and kits are designed to blend into any retail environment, allowing for installations in areas that a criminal won’t notice. They are also commonly used by commercial banks and retail establishments with drive-through or standalone ATMs.

With enhanced on-screen AI analytics, face and motion detection can be overlaid on surveillance footage captured by a discreetly-mounted IP camera that delivers 2MP or higher resolution. Additional features may include customized on-screen messaging to indicate active recording or to display promotional banners for current and upcoming product sales.

Outdoors & Entryways

Protecting Gas Pumps

The fuel pump area represents one of the highest-risk zones. Concerns about potential gas theft or tampering are usually the first concern for owners.

Hanwha Vision’s range of multi-sensor AI fisheye cameras, along with Q series box or bullet cameras, are excellent choices. They provide exceptional image clarity and possess AI capabilities to monitor for suspicious behaviors, identify vehicles, distinguish license plates, and ensure adherence to safety protocols.

Adequate lighting in fuel pump areas is crucial, along with the implementation of intelligent IP audio solutions. As more customers opt for digital payment methods, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or the gas station’s branded rewards app, an effective audio solution can enhance the overall customer experience.

Consider a typical scenario at a gas station: a driver wishes to use the convenience of digital payments but encounters issues at the fuel pump—perhaps due to a technical glitch. Would this driver want to walk into the store, wait in line, and explain the problem to an attendant, only to return to the vehicle and try again? Absolutely not.

Having the right audio solutions, even if a simple speaker, would enable an attendant to assist with the issue from inside the store, saving the driver time and improving his/her overall experience, demonstrating the business’s commitment to addressing customer needs.

While this scenario may seem like a minor inconvenience for the drivers, it’s often these small interactions that differentiate brands and businesses in the eyes of customers—either positively or negatively.

In-Store Strategies: Enhancing Safety and Minimizing Product Loss

Recent statistics from the National Retail Federation reveal that the average retail store in the U.S., including convenience stores, loses around 1.6% of their sales annually to theft, commonly referred to as the “shrink rate.” This figure represents losses from shoplifting, employee theft, and administrative errors.

Such losses can significantly impact the profitability of smaller convenience stores. While many countries experience lower shrinkage rates, theft remains a prevalent issue for convenience store operators globally.

One contributing factor is that convenience stores typically stock popular consumer staples like soda, candy, coffee, chips, and ice cream, as well as electronic gadgets and accessories. These items often come in small packages, making them easier targets for teen pranksters or thieves, especially in stores with limited staff and insufficient surveillance.

There are several key AI-enabled solutions from Hanwha Vision that successful convenience store operators worldwide highly value.

These solutions include Hanwha Vision’s range of high-resolution fisheye cameras, which can effectively cover an entire floor; compact dome cameras that blend with the store’s decor; and discreet micro-PTZ cameras that can track subjects of interest. IP audio solutions serve as valuable additions to this security suite.

In checkout areas, covert and unobtrusive cameras should be paired with a dual head multi-sensor camera positioned near the ceiling, along with visible public monitoring screens. Ideally, these monitors should be placed behind the clerk at checkout or near automated checkout registers.

The AI capabilities of Hanwha Vision solutions can swiftly detect suspicious activities, such as excessive loitering and intrusion events. Additionally, they enhance customer experiences through intelligent queue management, which alerts staff when customers are waiting longer than predetermined times, and advanced people counting, which gathers statistical data on individuals entering or exiting designated zones.

Seeing It All From Anywhere

The flexibility of Hanwha Vision’s solution is highly valued by convenience store and gas station owners, especially
those that operate numerous facilities.

Hanwha Vision cameras are natively compatible with most popular video management systems (VMS) via ONVIF
protocol or SUNAPI plug-in drivers, including Milestone, Genetec, and, of course, Hanwha Vision’s popular Wisenet VMS.

This enables seamless integration for AI analytics and remote monitoring capabilities, allowing security professionals or business owners to oversee multiple locations and trigger rapid responses from anywhere, whether onsite or at remote locations.

Since existing VMS solutions can be effectively used, operators can easily add – or make the switch to – the latest Hanwha Vision intelligent cameras without incurring additional integration costs.

Simplifying Compliance Monitoring & Reporting

Ensuring and reporting on compliance with regulations related to worker safety, fuel handling, as well as food
disposal, is essential for owners of convenience stores and gas stations, especially those who operator many
locations. However, it’s a time-consuming process.

By providing detailed logs and reports of monitored environments, AI-driven surveillance systems can help owners
enhance their facilities’ compliance efforts and simplify compliance reporting efforts.

Contact a Hanwha Vision retail expert to help create a customized approach to improve the security and operational efficiency of your location.