Shop owner Navinder Uppal has launched a traffic light store entry system to help retailers cut costs, reassure customers and save staff time.

The retailer told RN the Sentry system was designed and tested using his experience running a store during the pandemic. “The idea came to us in May when we had queues outside our store and we were trying to enforce a maximum of four people in the store at any time, since then many larger retailers have adopted similar systems to manage customer flow.”

The newly launched final version, available at £149 with next day delivery includes a ‘plug and play’ LED sign and remote control, allowing staff to advise customers when to wait and when to enter from anywhere in the store. “We’ve got 50 installed and even those who were skeptical initially saw the benefit of it,” he commented.

Uppal explained that by removing the need for permanent or temporary physical door control, staff hours could be redeployed or removed in order to help stores operate more efficiently. Based on just two and a half hours of door monitoring per day, the traffic light system pays for itself within a week, based on one staff member working at the National Living Wage.

“It has the benefit of a staff member on the door in terms of customer perception, it shows that shops are safe and acting responsibly,” he added.

Built in partnership with leading electronics firm Red Arrow, the system can be window mounted or mounted on a freestanding unit (£50).