Total Wine & More Selects March Networks Hybrid Video Surveillance Solution
 

Total Wine & More, a privately-owned chain of 100 wine, beer and spirit superstores in 15 states, decided to transition to a new video surveillance system when it began opening Internet fulfillment centers in its retail stores.

Shipping expensive bottles of wine around the country was simply too risky without irrefutable evidence that the correct product was packaged and picked up by the courier. A video surveillance system that limited Total Wine’s options to all-analog or all-IP was out of the question.

“We knew that going forward, we weren’t going to abandon our analog cameras, but we would progressively begin adding more IP cameras to our buildout as costs came down,” said Total Wine Senior Project Manager Mark Ganter.

The solution was a hybrid March Networks video surveillance system capable of accommodating both.
March Networks’ hybrid NVRs allow for a mix of up to 32 analog or IP cameras, offering customers like Total Wine the freedom to transition to higher-definition video as the need arises and as budgets are freed up. Total Wine’s stores are 25,000-square foot emporiums selling 8,000 different wines, 3,000 spirits and 2,500 varieties of beer from around the world.

“We installed IP cameras in the fulfillment rooms to capture images of shipping information and labels for proof of packaging and delivery,” said Ganter. “We want to be able to verify that a particular bottle with a particular vintage was packaged and shipped.

High-resolution cameras are also installed to cover each store’s eight to 12 point-of-sale stations. Overhead monitors installed in work areas at the front entrance of each store alert customers to the fact that they are under surveillance and offer Total Wine staff an overview of what’s happening throughout the store.

Total Wine, headquartered in Potomac, Maryland, has specified March Networks as its preferred video surveillance vendor. The company began rolling out 4000 Series Hybrid NVRs in 2013 and is now transitioning to 32-channel 8000 Series units with 6 TB of onboard storage as new stores are opened or existing ones are relocated or renovated.

While March Networks was selected primarily for its ability to accommodate both analog and IP cameras, the available software functionality and extensive video analytics made it an attractive option as the company’s business requirements evolve.

“We’re very happy with our March Networks system and the support we have received,” said Ganter. “March Networks satisfies our immediate need for a hybrid system, but also provides us with the opportunity down the road to benefit from more powerful loss prevention and business intelligence functionality.”
 

To See More, visit March Networks at NRF-LP Booth #1128.