Sony has ventured into a novel realm of retail analytics with the deployment of an AI camera-powered system in 500 7-Eleven stores across Japan. The initiative, developed by Sony’s subsidiary, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, involves compact cameras similar in size to standard digital cameras that monitor consumer interactions with digital signboards positioned strategically within the store.
The system utilizes Sony’s proprietary semiconductor image sensors equipped with edge AI capabilities, enabling data processing directly at the source without additional hardware. By focusing on customer gaze and duration of engagement with ads, the cameras offer a nuanced insight into advertising effectiveness — a metric traditionally gauged by the less direct measure of sales fluctuations.
This technology not only promises a reduction in data transmission and storage costs by sending only essential metadata to the cloud but also addresses privacy concerns by ensuring no personal information is captured. Sony’s approach exemplifies a significant stride in retail analytics, offering 7-Eleven actionable insights to refine their marketing strategies and potentially increase sales conversions at the point of purchase.
Sony plans to extend this service, charging installation fees and ongoing usage rates, with ambitions to expand into other retail chains and the transport advertising sector, marking a new era in digital advertising and consumer behavior analysis.
