Driving Footfall

We speak to DAvid Kennett, Head of Technology and Operations, at Storetech to get his overview and advice on footfall and how it can be increased..

What have you found works the most successfully in using technology to drive footfall to a store?

In our 20 year experience the most successful retailers that use footfall data are those that fully embrace conversion as a key performance metric. Some will use conversion as the number one target to measure a manager's performance.  Sales staff will be alerted to conversion throughout the day, so when it dips they will refocus their sales floor efforts. Our performance dashboard allows retailers to see conversion in real time, so they can take action before the trading day ends, this is far better than just a daily or weekly report to review performance.

Generally have you found a dip in footfall over the last 12 months or has social media helped drive it do you think?

Footfall across the high street is down, both in the UK and US, as more shoppers go online to purchase items. This trend is unavoidable, however stores need to just focus on the customers that are coming into their store and so more than ever need to understand what that opportunity is. By being engaging with all potential customers that walk into their store, they give themselves maximum opportunity to deliver great service and generate a sale.

You work with lots of well-known chains - are you able to give any advice to smaller independents too who may be struggling?

Retailers of all sizes can benefit in a number of key areas:

1. Engage with everyone that walks into your store, consider everyone an opportunity. They may not purchase there and then, but it is your one chance to give a high level of service that they will remember and want to come back again.

2. Sales data on its own does not tell you how you are performing. Footfall data and transaction data can be used to provide a true picture of performance and trends; conversion has for many years been the number one retail metric to measure performance. In the same way online retailers will look at online analytics to know where a customer goes, the same can be achieved for offline retailers.

Have you ever worked with towns/cities who can offer a footfall system that benefits all the retailers in the area (i.e. one system that can be used by all - at varying levels depending on budget)

We have not, and each retailer is different and has different priorities. You will find many solutions on the market for footfall counting, different hardware technologies and software solutions. A shopping mall for example will want data for different reasons to a shop.

Many high street chains do have a footfall system, but only in a limited number of key stores. If you only do this, the focus will become diluted and less impactful than if all stores have the same focus. In recent years other types of footfall hardware has come onto the market; traditional footfall tech includes video and thermal cameras, there is now a growing number using Wi-Fi detection to track shoppers around a store, particularly useful in large format stores.

This can be lower initial cost and give new metrics like dwell time, first time visit, repeat visit, passer-by and occupancy.