Three numbers decide a retail site
How many people pass, what share come in, and when. Passing footfall sets the ceiling. Capture rate — entries as a proportion of passers-by — is the number that separates a good frontage from a busy street you cannot convert. The hourly and daily profile determines staffing, trading hours and whether the peak matches the format you intend to operate.
What a study delivers
- Passing footfall by direction, in 15-minute bins across the trading day
- Entry and exit counts, with capture rate calculated against passing volume
- Hourly, daily and weekend-versus-weekday profile
- Group size and composition, which drives basket size assumptions
- Dwell time at the window or frontage, where the objective is display effectiveness
- Comparison counts at competing or benchmark locations
- Vehicle counts on the adjacent street, for sites where drive-by matters
Video counting, without installing hardware
Sensor-based footfall systems mean hardware, permission, power, installation and a minimum contract term — reasonable for permanent in-store measurement, disproportionate for a decision you need to make in a fortnight about a lease you have not signed. A camera on a tripod or a nearby window for a defined survey period produces the count for a site-selection or negotiation decision without any of that overhead.
Where the numbers get used
Site selection shortlists, lease and rent negotiation where a landlord's footfall claim needs verification, trade-area and catchment analysis, before-and-after measurement for a frontage or fit-out change, and pedestrianisation impact assessment for a business improvement district.
Frequently asked
How long should a foot traffic study run?
A full trading week is the reliable minimum for a site decision, since weekday and weekend patterns often differ sharply. Two or three representative days can support an early shortlist.
Can you count a competitor's location?
We can count publicly observable passing footfall and entries from public space, which is standard practice in retail benchmarking. We do not survey inside private premises without the operator's permission.
What is a good capture rate?
It varies enormously by format and price point, which is why the comparison count matters more than an absolute benchmark. The useful figure is your capture rate against a comparable site on a comparable street.
Get a price for foot traffic studies
Send the site details and the periods you need counted. We will come back with a fixed price and a delivery date, usually the same working day.