What is Foot Traffic Data? Examples, Datasets and Providers

How is Foot Traffic Data Collected?

Foot traffic data links individual movements to specific locations, gathered through various methods, each with strengths and weaknesses.

Micro-Level (e.g., Stores, Shopping malls):

• Bluetooth: Effective for tracking footfall in confined spaces using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology.
• WiFi: Reliable for tracking foot traffic within smaller areas without requiring direct phone connections.

Macro-Level (e.g., Shopping districts):

• GPS Location Data: Suitable for larger areas, providing broader but less precise location information.

Additional Foot Traffic Data collection methods:

• Laser Beams: Count people entering and exiting stores via beam interruptions.
• Thermal Imaging Sensors: Detect the number of individuals in an area, often visualized on heatmaps.
• Video Cameras: Record foot traffic data, offering visual confirmation and detailed analysis of movement patterns.
• AI and Facial Recognition Technology: Advanced methods for identifying and tracking individuals, though less popular due to privacy concerns and legal restrictions.
• Opt-In Location Tracking App: Visitors download an app and allow location tracking, providing detailed information on their movement.
• Foot Sensor Pressure Mats: Measure foot traffic by detecting pressure changes at specific points.
• Surveys: Collect information from visitors, though response rates can be a challenge.
• Clicker Counters: Require more manual effort.

How Does a Foot Traffic Counter work?

The foot traffic counter uses sensors, such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and infrared technology, to register customers entering or exiting a store by counting each time the beam is interrupted for real-time foot traffic data. Advanced solutions can determine the customer’s direction of movement, whether they’re coming in or going out. These devices typically use thermal imaging (body heat sensing) or video processing technologies. Counts may be segmented in real-time or split into intervals such as five minutes, thirty minutes, an hour, etc.

What Are the Attributes of Foot Traffic Data?

Foot traffic data includes the number of visitors to a certain place or area over a set period.

These are the key attributes:

• Timestamped Hours of Operation: Logs the exact hours when the location operates.
• Total Hours of Operation: Captures the complete number of operational hours over a given period.
• Number of Visitors in a POI Over Time: Tallies the visitors to a Point of Interest (POI) within a defined duration.
• Mobile Devices Located at a POI: Tracks the count of mobile devices at a specific spot.
• Accurate Location of the POI: Pinpoints the precise geographic coordinates of the location.
• Demographic Data About the POI: May include details such as age, gender, etc., of the visitors.

Why is it Important to Measure Foot Traffic Data in stores?

Measuring foot traffic in stores is vital because sales figures alone do not provide a complete picture of a company’s status. Foot traffic data offers benchmarks to assess performance with real-time insights. Understanding foot traffic patterns can highlight areas to optimize operations and identify expansion opportunities. For traditional street-side shops or those exploring offline sales to complement e-commerce, this data is indispensable. Purchasing foot traffic data online from data marketplaces allows businesses to refine their stores, enhance quality and customer service, and evaluate future performance based on footfall statistics.

How Can Foot Traffic Data Be Used?

Foot traffic data has numerous use cases, ranging from understanding consumer behavior to optimizing business operations. It can be used for:

• Retail Site Selection: Evaluate potential store locations by understanding the footfall in an area.
• Advertising and Marketing: Target your campaigns more effectively by identifying high-traffic areas and times.
• Urban Planning: Assist governments and city planners in optimizing public infrastructure and services based on human movement patterns.
• Competitive Analysis: Track your competitors’ foot traffic and understand their customer base.
• Real Estate Investments: Analyze foot traffic data to determine the best locations for investments based on pedestrian activity.

How Accurate is Foot Traffic Data?

The accuracy of foot traffic data can vary depending on the provider, but most offer high precision with error margins as small as 19 meters in some datasets. Some datasets boast up to 100% deterministic accuracy by using verified GPS signals. Accuracy is often enhanced by cross-referencing multiple data sources and using advanced filtering techniques.

How Frequently is Foot Traffic Data Updated?

Foot traffic data can be updated daily, weekly, or even in real-time, depending on the data provider. Real-time data allows for immediate analysis of traffic patterns and trends, while historical data is often available for longer-term analysis, sometimes covering several years. If you need up-to-the-minute data for purposes like marketing or operational adjustments, real-time data is highly valuable.

How is Foot Traffic Data Delivered?

Foot traffic data is typically delivered in formats such as .csv, .json, or via APIs, making it easy to integrate into your systems or applications. Common delivery methods include S3 buckets, FTP, and direct email. For businesses that require ongoing updates, APIs provide seamless real-time data feeds, while others may prefer batch updates delivered periodically. Make sure to choose the delivery method that best suits your business needs.

How Much Does Foot Traffic Data Cost?

The cost of foot traffic data depends on various factors like the geographic coverage, update frequency, and volume of data. Pricing can range from a few cents per API call for small-scale access to thousands of dollars for full-year subscriptions with extensive geographic and temporal coverage. Many providers also offer free samples on Datarade so you can evaluate the data before committing to a purchase. For example, typical pricing models might start at $0.10 per API call or offer monthly licenses starting around $500, depending on the provider.

What Geographic Areas are Covered by Foot Traffic Data?

Foot traffic data is available for most regions around the world, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Depending on the provider, the data can cover specific cities, countries, or offer global reach. For instance, some datasets might focus on North American markets, while others provide data for over 200 countries globally.

Can Foot Traffic Data Be Combined with Other Data Types?

Yes, foot traffic data can be combined with other datasets such as demographic data, weather data, and sales data to generate more comprehensive insights. By integrating multiple data sources, you can create a more complete picture of consumer behavior, optimize operations, and make more informed decisions.

Is Foot Traffic a Retail Store KPI?

Yes, foot traffic is a significant KPI in retail. As a measurable value, it helps analyze how effectively a company meets business objectives. Various KPIs are utilized by organizations to track success in achieving targets. High-level KPIs typically assess overall company performance, while low-level KPIs focus on specific departments like sales, marketing, HR, and support. Foot traffic data addresses questions on customer retention, satisfaction, inventory metrics, turnover, and gross margin return on investment. Data marketplaces like Datarade offer foot traffic datasets suited to these particular needs.

How Long Does Footfall Data Collection Take?

Footfall data data is an overview of the number of customers going through and entering places like malls or workplaces. Analyzing foot traffic isn’t always easy. Your company may need answers to complex questions, such as which place has more traffic during the morning rush. As high-density areas need higher rentals, you need to determine how much foot traffic is enough to make the rent worthwhile. All this takes time, but it can be reduced by buying commercial foot traffic data from a data marketplace like Datarade.