Footfall Counter: Retail Traffic Tracking & Data Analysis

FAQs

• What is footfall?

  As the name suggests, footfall (also known as People Counting, Shopper Counting or traffic) refers to the number of people who walk into a store or shopping mall – so you can measure dwell time, track conversions and ensure you have enough staff at peak times.

• How do footfall counters work?

  Traffic counters also known as people counters or footfall counters operate by monitoring the number of people who pass a given threshold point, which could be the entry to a store/location or a zone. There are all sorts of technologies available from simple ‘beam break’ technology to Time of Flight and stereo camera technology. While there are different technologies at the device level, the most critical aspect is that the systems are managed for continuous operation and accuracy to ensure they are a useful business tool. Accuracy figures will be quoted with the key accuracy being 95%, below this the calculated business metrics become ‘unreliable’ at the same time once the device is above 95% while it is comforting as a number it will not significantly change the calculated KPI of Conversion Rate.

• How can I increase footfall?

  Our people counting cameras capture the flow of potential customers that enter a store on an ongoing hour-by-hour basis, over a period of time. Driving up footfall gives you more opportunities to influence consumer behaviour and increase sales, and retailers continually tempt customers into stores with offers, rewards and memorable experiences.

  The most successful also understand the importance of retail intelligence from people counting systems. By aligning current footfall figures with historical data, managers can establish when a store is likely to be quiet or busy, and schedule staff members according to demand.

• What does Footfall analytics allow you to do?

  By analysing footfall data you can identify customer buying behaviour and trends, so you can:
  – Determine in-store activity
  – Assess the impact, performance and success of marketing initiatives
  – Tailor staffing schedules according to footfall patterns
  – Improve store layout and ease customer navigation
  – Optimise store performance
  – Maximise sales potential
  – Improve peel off rates

• Why is Footfall Analysis important?

  Whether a global brand, or an independent shop, all retailers want to know how many people have walked through the doors, since it shows where the sales opportunities lie. Counting store visits manually is impossible for all but the smallest firms, which is why successful retailers use real-time footfall analytics to drive conversions and track performance.

  Store managers, and those in head office, can then build a detailed and accurate picture of store traffic hourly, daily, weekly, and year-on-year. It forms the basis of business-critical, operational and strategic decisions that improve merchandising and store displays, optimise staff resources and most importantly, transform casual visitors into loyal customers.

• Why is Footfall Analytics in Retail so important?

  With real-time footfall data the driving force behind increased engagement, dwell time and sales, it is important to choose a people counting camera that suits your retail environment. More than just retail security systems, these devices help you identify fresh opportunities based on customer insights. The type of camera you install depends on factors such as the number of entrances and windows the shop has, as well as its general look and feel. We work with a range of trusted suppliers to help you find the right smart retail solution for your needs.

• What are the Benefits of Footfall Analysis?

  – Boost sales productivity and identify conversion rate profiles and patterns
  – Improve performance by identifying weaker performing stores and implementing training programs
  – Boost ROI by monitoring the success of marketing campaigns
  – Gain a deeper insight by reviewing changes in sales volumes and the consequences of fluctuating footfall levels
  – Make instant operational changes with real-time traffic data to boost conversion
  – Instant access to accurate and reliable data for confident decision-making

• Why should I count my footfall?

  Calculating footfall is a key metric for store and senior managers wanting to increase sales and drive profits up. By counting footfall, retailers can identify at any time of day – how many purchasing opportunities they have in-store and crucially, by incorporating that with sales data – how many they are missing.

  Knowing your hourly, daily and weekly retail footfall can give retailers that extra edge to target peak hours, convert browsers into customers and ultimately optimise store performance.

• How do you measure footfall?

  Counting the number of people who enter your store tells you how many buying opportunities you have had in-store for any particular day. By dividing total transactional sales by footfall data for that same period, you can find out how many shoppers were persuaded to put their hand in their pocket and make a purchase: i.e. your conversion rate.

  By measuring customer footfall and establishing your conversion rate, you can focus on key areas to improve store performance. Just some of the insights you can measure, include:
  – Lowest performing hours
  – Staff scheduling
  – Effect on sales volumes
  – Percentage of shoppers who purchase
  – Under-performing stores
  – Marketing effectiveness
  – Real time footfall traffic

  Once your retail footfall is being tracked and measured, (footfall analytics), we can then bring in our experts who can analyse your data to identify customer trends and find out what is happening in-store and why.

• What can store managers do with footfall data?

  – Understand what factors are driving store sales
  – Match your staffing pattern
  – Make better use of budgets
  – Discover what are your worst performing days in terms of conversion rates
  – Evaluate and target poor performing hours to improve conversion rates

• What can area Managers do with footfall data?

  – Find out if marketing initiatives delivered more traffic to stores
  – Discover which shops provide the greatest opportunity for growth
  – Measure the effect new service training programs have on improving conversion rates
  – Evaluate loyalty card events – do they drive additional traffic, when should you have them, are they buying or simply just enjoying the event?

• What can head office do with footfall data?

  – Plan with confidence for the future
  – Understand customer trends
  – Assess the real impact of a new store concept or refit
  – Use data for discussions during lease negotiations
  – Evaluate and optimize store layout performance
  – Measure effectiveness of changes to the marketing mix
  – Understand the impact of store promotions
  – Measure the effectiveness of marketing spend
  – Find out how you are performing against your competitors with our RTIs
  – Identify brand strength – do your stores follow the same footfall patterns as your competitors