How Toshiba Aims to Curb Grocery Shrink

Tech provider to unveil new security solution at Groceryshop

9/14/2023

Toshiba's new Elera security suite is designed to help food retailers prevent loss and protect profits.

Shrink is closing in on $100 billion in annual losses for retailers, according to the National Retail Federation. As grocers grapple with loss, theft and other shrink problems that have caused both national headlines and everyday headaches in their sector, they are teaming up with solutions providers to help curb challenges.

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Tec Corp., is one of those providers, recently launching a new security solution for the grocery industry. The Elera Security Suite is offered through Toshiba’s IoT platform and uses computer vision cameras with advanced artificial intelligence (AI). It is a modular system that can be used as part of the overall Elera solution or attached to other Toshiba or third-party POS systems.

According to Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, the new suite allows food retailers to monitor consumer behavior in real time via the camera and multiple sensors that can be deployed in checkout areas. Through this capability, grocers can respond to incidents as they occur and notify shoppers of potential errors through proactive alerts. The system also optimizes labor by allowing customers to correct issues themselves and by differentiating between shoppers' items versus store products they are purchasing.

“In a world where every second and every cent counts, Elera Security Suite is not just a tool but a strategy — turning data into decisions and losses into profits,” said Yevgeni Tsirulnik, SVP of innovation and incubation at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. “As global leaders in retail solutions, our Toshiba team and partners came together to envision and develop the AI-powered Elera Security Suite to enhance their loss prevention measures that have a direct and positive impact on retailer profits while also improving the shopper experience.”

Grocers can learn more about the latest solution at next week's Groceryshop 2023 in Las Vegas. Toshiba’s experts will be on hand at Booth #1050 to demonstrate the system and showcase other retail solutions, like the Elera Produce Recognition program that integrates AI and computer vision to identify produce items and eliminate the need to manually input produce codes at checkout.