CCTV for supermarkets: how many cameras you need and where to put them
A typical supermarket needs about 13 CCTV cameras — 8 to cover the essentials (entrance & exit, checkout tills, aisles), up to 16 for complete coverage. Below is a placement map, the right camera type for each spot, a 16-channel recorder with 4 TB of storage and a complete kit with prices in Kenya.
Where to place CCTV cameras in a supermarket
Recommended plan for a medium-sized supermarket — 13 cameras. Numbers match the table below.
| # | Area | Camera | Qty | Why it goes here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entrance & exitEssential | Eyeball | 1 | Face-level record of everyone entering and leaving. |
| 2 | Checkout tillsEssential | Dome | 4 | One per till: records cash, card and M-Pesa payments and the goods passing the scanner. Above each till, angled to see the drawer and the customer. |
| 3 | AislesEssential | Dome | 3 | One camera at the end of every second aisle looks down two aisles at once. |
| 4 | Shop floor overview | Fisheye | 2 | Ceiling fisheyes fill the gaps between aisle cameras and show how people move through the store. |
| 5 | Receiving & store | Bullet | 2 | Deliveries are where stock most often goes missing — record every crate in and out. |
| 6 | Cash office | Dome | 1 | Records cash counting and banking. |
Which cameras to use
Eyeball (turret) camera
Compact 4MP camera with a wide 2.8 mm lens and infrared night vision. Easy to aim, no glare from the dome cover.
Best for: Entrances, receptions and doors — anywhere you need clear faces.
Vandal-proof dome camera
Tough, tamper-resistant dome housing that hides where the lens is pointing.
Best for: Tills, cash offices, corridors and anywhere within reach of people.
360° fisheye camera
Mounted on the ceiling, one fisheye camera sees the whole room with no blind spots.
Best for: Open shop floors, halls, open-plan offices and dining areas.
Bullet camera
Weatherproof outdoor camera. Its visible shape is a deterrent on its own.
Best for: Outside walls, yards, perimeters and loading areas.
Recorder, storage and cabling
For 13 cameras use a 16-channel PoE NVR (it powers the cameras through the network cable) with a 4 TB surveillance hard drive — about 14 days of continuous 4MP recording. Allow roughly 501 m of Cat6 cable, and a UPS so the system keeps recording during power cuts.
Complete kit & prices
- Dahua IPC-HDW5442TM-ASE 4MP WizMind IR Eyeball Network Camera × 1 KSh 12,000
- Dahua IPC-HDBW5442R-ASE 4MP Vandal-proof Dome WizMind Network Camera × 8 KSh 224,000
- Dahua IPC-EW5541-AS 5MP WizMind IR Fisheye Network Camera × 2 KSh 50,000
- Dahua IPC-HFW5442E-ZE 4MP IR Vari-focal Bullet Network Camera × 2 KSh 32,000
- Dahua NVR5216-16P-EI 16-Channel 2HDD PoE Network Video Recorder × 1 KSh 45,000
- 4 TB surveillance hard drive (quoted) × 1 —
- Cat6 Outdoor Ethernet Cable × 2 KSh 20,000
- UPS backup power (1 kVA) (quoted) × 1 —
In-stock equipment: KSh 383,000+ 4 TB surveillance hard drive, UPS backup power (1 kVA) (quoted)
Adjust to your supermarket & add to cartFrequently asked questions
How many CCTV cameras does a supermarket need?
Plan one dome camera per checkout till, one for every two aisles, one or two at the entrance, plus cameras for receiving, the cash office and parking. A medium supermarket with 4 tills and 6 aisles typically needs 12 to 18 cameras.
Which recorder does a supermarket need?
A 16- or 32-channel network video recorder (NVR) with enough hard-drive space for at least 14–30 days of footage, so losses can be investigated after stock counts.
What recorder and storage does a supermarket CCTV system need?
For about 13 cameras, a 16-channel PoE network video recorder (NVR) with a 4 TB surveillance hard drive keeps roughly 14 days of continuous 4MP footage.
Can Kefa Solutions install CCTV for my supermarket?
Yes. Kefa Solutions technicians survey the site, recommend camera positions, install and configure the system, and set up viewing on your phone. Use the CCTV planner to send your plan and request a call back.