What online retailers can do, high-street retailers should be doing too. After all, online retailers keep a close eye on their visitors at all times and collect a wealth of data. They analyse the time and duration of visits, the number of pages viewed, and individual purchases. Using this data, online retailers regularly make optimisations to boost conversion rates and turnover. But what is actually measured in shops and shopping centres? Often, a quick check of the till and gut instinct have to suffice. However, this approach is not very sustainable. With footfall measurement in the retail sector, gut instinct is given a data-driven foundation. Building on this, brick-and-mortar retailers can make important business decisions.
How can customer behaviour be analysed using footfall measurement?
By measuring footfall, high-street retailers can answer key questions:
• How many visitors are there at any given time or during a specific period?
• Which times and days of the week see high or low visitor numbers?
• What factors influence visitor numbers?
• How do visitor numbers change over the course of the year?
• What differences are there between individual branches in terms of visitors?
• What impact do advertising campaigns have on visitors?
• Are staff being deployed effectively?
Efficient use of resources
Staff and advertising are major costs for retailers. That is why both factors must be utilised as efficiently as possible. By measuring footfall, retailers can determine how advertising campaigns affect visitor numbers. Naturally, this always requires a baseline measurement taken over an extended period. This baseline measurement should be carried out outside of special themed weeks and promotional campaigns. This establishes the baseline figure for subsequent comparison. As the advertising campaigns are rolled out, new footfall data is then automatically collected. A comparison of the baseline figures and the comparative figures highlights the benefits of the advertising campaigns.
If peak and off-peak times are known, retailers can plan their staffing more efficiently. On the one hand, footfall measurement provides real-time data, meaning staff can be assigned to customer service or other tasks as required. On the other hand, the data collected can also be used to forecast average visitor numbers for the coming days and weeks. This enables retailers to deploy their staff optimally during peak and off-peak times.
Footfall measurement in the retail sector using 3D sensors
Footfall measurement in the retail sector can be carried out using various methods. However, the method using 3D sensors is particularly accurate and compliant with data protection regulations. It records all visitors entering or leaving a store. Furthermore, it is possible to apply footfall measurement to individual floors or designated sales areas. The collected data is consolidated in real time on a web-based reporting platform and made available in an optimised format for mobile devices, amongst other things. Furthermore, other relevant data such as weather data or till data can be integrated. This provides granular insights into visitor numbers and a store’s performance.
Counting the number of passers-by
Retailers can not only count visitors entering and leaving their premises, but also passers-by outside their shop. When taken together, footfall measurement and visitor frequency measurement are particularly valuable for retailers. This is because the ratio of visitors to passers-by can be used to determine the capture rate. This is an indicator of a shop’s appeal and acceptance among passers-by. In particular, tracking the development of the capture rate over a longer period allows conclusions to be drawn about the success of operational measures aimed at location optimisation.
Further data obtained through frequency measurement
Footfall measurement also makes it possible to determine the average dwell time. This is useful for comparing multiple branches and taking a closer look at underperforming ones. This is because the average dwell time depends, for example, on the shop layout, the appeal and variety of the product range, the welcoming atmosphere, the quality of customer service, or in-store marketing. Footfall measurement also allows you to gauge the success of measures aimed at improving customer acceptance of specific areas. These might include, for example, promotional displays, the entrance area to changing rooms, a restaurant, or the staircase and lift area.
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