One variation of a method for deploying fixed cameras within a store includes: dispatching a robotic system to autonomously navigate along a set of inventory structures in the store and generate a spatial map of the store during a scan cycle; generating an accessibility heatmap representing accessibility of regions of the store to the robotic system based on the spatial map; generating a product value heatmap for the store based on locations and sales volumes of products in the store; accessing a number of fixed cameras allocated to the store; generating a composite heatmap for the store based on the accessibility heatmap and the product value heatmap; identifying a subset of inventory structures occupying a set of locations within the store corresponding to critical amplitudes in the composite heatmap; and generating a prompt to install the number of fixed cameras facing the subset of inventory structures in the store.