SafeQ | Making Queuing for supermarkets more safe, comfortable and convenient for all

What is the problem you found?

Long queues are becoming common to manage overcrowding in supermarkets. Physically queuing for retail stores leads to overcrowding at the store front and a lack of social distancing if not managed properly. In addition, queueing in indoor environments is a health hazard, as it does not allow viruses to disperse quickly. The physical act of queueing is also very limiting where you have people in front and behind you and you cannot move around or sit down. This may be hard for those who can’t stand for long or have trouble standing still, as queueing is also a slow process that is unclear to customers about how long it may take, potentially more than 15 minutes.

What is your opportunity?

How might we create a more enjoyable, safe and easy to manage supermarket experience for all?

Who is your audience?

My audience is for customers of supermarkets who do not enjoy standing in a queue and supermarket management who would like a more efficient management system regarding overcrowding policies in store.

What Is Your Solution?

My solution is to implement a digital queuing system utilising the current CCTV in supermarkets in order to analyse the amount of people entering and leaving the store. In most supermarkets there is CCTV at the entrance of the store and at the checkouts which could be linked together through an AI software to count the people entering and leaving the store.

Optional thermal CCTV could be installed to monitor health of employees and customers alerting management if there is a potential health risk to others through the onset of high temperature or fever.

The software also provides staff and customers with real time data on the number of customers in store, alert to start a queuing system during busy hours, for more staff at checkouts and give customers an estimated queuing time. This will allow customers the freedom to wait in their cars or surrounding areas, away from others and be well notified of the wait.

A web application will allow customers to view this information and queue up digitally on their phones. As an easy process, no signing up is required, simply enter the website, confirm the store location, click join queue and a reference queue number will be displayed on the phone. The information of how busy the store is, number of people in queue, estimated queuing time will also be available to the general public on the website.

For those without phones, physical paper tickets will be available by approaching a store member in charge of the queue who will supply a ticket with a number on it which is also linked to the digital system. The progress, waiting time and relevant information will be display on digital screens outside the store for everyone to see, keeping everyone in the loop and notified.

With time, quiet and busy hours can be determined, informing customers when the best time to visit the supermarket for a shorter queue time leading to a smoother experience  with staff being able to meet the demands of the amount of customers and be well prepared.