TJ Morris and Hitachi in coronavirus tech partnership

Discount retailer TJ Morris is tapping new motion sensor technology from Hitachi Europe for a traffic light queueing system at all 550 of its Home Bargains stores across the UK.

Installed by the store entrance and exit, Hitachi’s 3D LiDAR (TOF) Motion Sensor will simultaneously count people entering and exiting. When the light signals green, customers will be able to enter the store - when red, customers will have to remain outside until someone leaves.

The sensor can also track a customer’s journey around a store by detecting human shape and movement, identifying where they stopped and who they passed by. Hitachi Europe stresses that, unlike CCTV cameras, the sensor provides real-time insights without collecting personal information.

TJ Morris Director of Innovation, Joe Morris, says: “Over the past few months, retail environments have changed, and we’ve had to quickly adapt to new ways of operating. New, innovative technologies have played a significant part in us still being able to provide a safe and pleasant shopping experience for our customers.”

“By collaborating directly with manufactures, like Hitachi, we’re able to actively contribute and share our knowledge to ultimately provide a better, tailored solution for our stores. The capabilities and applications of Hitachi’s 3D LiDAR sensor are transformative for the retail industry and we believe it will offer us both great value and future opportunities.”