Following successful trials, record’s traffic light FlowControl system is now being rolled out across 1,100 Tesco stores within the country.

Fully automated and with highly accurate counting, the FlowControl is being supplied and installed on customer entrance and exit doors at all store formats of Tesco stores including Express, Metro, Extra and Superstores.

By installing the FlowControl system, it will help Tesco comply with Covid-19 social distancing guidelines and will ensure customers and staff feel safe within the store.

The FlowControl traffic lights inform customers when it is safe to enter or when they need to wait because the store has reached its pre-set maximum safe capacity. When the store has reached capacity, the doors automatically deactivate and only re-open once someone leaves the store.

To further help customers, especially those with sight impairments, the FlowControl systems at the larger Extra and Superstores will play pre-recorded messages to advise whether it is safe to enter the store or not.

The highly adaptable and configurable system will also enable Tesco to safely redeploy staff currently manning entrance doors to control customer numbers, freeing them up to work elsewhere.

The new system also gives managers the flexibility to control customer numbers in-store, as all stores will have a staff alert system fitted at the Customer Service desk to notify staff when a store is nearing or has reached capacity.

This will then allow staff to monitor the actual number of people in the store at any time on the FlowControl display.

This display also allows staff to make adjustments and changes to settings and counts, for example, to adjust for staff that have entered or left the building.

The FlowControl system will be installed by record over the next eight weeks, mostly out of hours to minimise the impact on customers and disruption to the stores.