System and method for monitoring retail store performance

Abstract

A system for monitoring the performance of at least one task associated with operation of a retail store. The system includes at least one monitoring device positioned and adapted to provide images of at least one location within the retail store, with each image showing at least one factor related to performance of the at least one task. A controller is adapted to obtain and store images from the at least one monitoring device. An interface is adapted to enable a user to selectively view stored images and to manually analyze the at least one factor shown in the viewed images to evaluate the performance of the at least one task.

1 . A system for monitoring the performance of at least one task associated with operation of a retail store, the system comprising: 
 at least one monitoring device positioned and adapted to provide images of at least one location within the retail store, each image showing at least one factor related to performance of the at least one task;    a controller adapted to obtain and store images from the at least one monitoring device; and    an interface adapted to enable a user to selectively view stored images and to manually analyze the at least one factor shown in the viewed images to evaluate the performance of the at least one task.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one monitoring device comprises a video camera providing a video signal of the at least one location.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one monitoring device comprises a digital still camera.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to obtain and store images at selectable intervals.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises an electronically readable code.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interface comprises a graphical user interface including icons representative of selected stored images.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one factor comprises a number of retail store customers awaiting service at the least one location.  
     
     
         8 . A performance evaluation system comprising: 
 a first monitoring system adapted to provide and store images of at least one task being performed at a first facility;    a second monitoring system adapted to provide and store images of at least one task being performed at a second facility; and    an interface adapted to enable selective viewing of the stored images and manual evaluation of the at least one task based on the viewed images, wherein a first user associated with the first facility can view only stored images of the first facility, a second user associated with the second facility can view only stored images of the second facility, and a third user associated with the first and second facilities can view stored images of the both the first and second facilities.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first facility is a first retail store, the second facility is a second retail store, and the third user is associated with a headquarters facility of a retail corporation that includes the first and second retail stores.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the interface and the first and second monitoring systems are coupled via a communications link.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the communications link includes the Internet.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the communications link comprises an intranet having restricted access.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the interface comprises a website.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first monitoring system stores images locally at the first facility and the second monitoring system stores images locally at the second facility.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second monitoring systems store images at a location remote from the first and second facilities.  
     
     
         16 . A performance monitoring system for a retail store, the system comprising: 
 means for providing images of at least one location within the retail store;    means for storing the images; and    means for viewing stored images to enable a user to manually evaluate a performance of at least one task associated with operation of the retail store occurring at the at least one location.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the means for providing images includes means for providing images at selectable intervals.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein means for providing images further comprises: 
 means for providing a digital video signal of the at least one location; and    means for obtaining digital still images from the digital video signal at selectable intervals.    
     
     
         19 . A method of operating a retail store, the method comprising: 
 capturing images of at least one location within the retail store;    storing the captured images at a storage location;    viewing selected images stored at the storage location; and    evaluating a performance of at least one task occurring at the least one location within the retail store by manually analyzing the viewed images.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further including: 
 adjusting the performance of the at least one task based on the evaluation.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein capturing images further comprises: 
 positioning at least one camera to view the at least one location; and    providing images of the at least one location with the at least one camera.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one camera comprises a digital video camera providing a digital video signal, and wherein capturing images further comprises: 
 obtaining digital still photos from the digital video signal at selectable intervals.    
     
     
         23 . A method for determining staffing requirements of a retail store, the method comprising: 
 providing digital images of one or more check lanes at selectable intervals each day;    storing the digital images in a storage device;    viewing selected stored digital images;    counting manually a number of customers awaiting service at each of the one or more check lanes in the selected digital images; and    determining staffing requirement based on the counting.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 determining customer trends based on the number of customers counted in the selected digital images.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 providing a number of cashiers based on the customer trends.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising 
 determining customer trends for a given day of the week during a selected time period by counting the number of customers awaiting service at each of the one or more check lanes in each stored digital image at each selectable time interval for each given day of the week over the selected time period.    
     
     
         27 . A method of retrofitting a retail store's existing security system to provide performance monitoring of store operations, the existing security system including a plurality of video cameras, each video camera providing a video signal of a corresponding location within the retail store, the method comprising: 
 providing a controller adapted to capture digital images from the video signals of selected video cameras of the existing security system;    providing a storage device to store the captured digital images; and    providing an interface adapted to enable a user to selectively view the stored digital images in order to evaluate performance of one or more operations occurring at one or more locations corresponding to the digital images viewed.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising: 
 adding one or more video cameras to the existing security system to provide video of additional locations within the retail store to enable monitoring of operations occurring at the additional locations, wherein the additional locations would not otherwise be monitored for security purposes.