footfall

Footfall is the number of people entering or passing through a defined area during a set period. In retail, it is a shorthand for pedestrian traffic and serves as a proxy for potential demand. Footfall can refer to entries into a store, a shopping center, a transit hub, or a district. It differs from occupancy, which measures how many people are present at a moment, and from unique visitors, which attempts to count distinct individuals over a period.

Measurement methods include manual counting by staff, video analytics with computer vision, infrared or pressure-sensitive counters, and digital methods such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth sensing. Counts can be expressed as total footfall for a period, footfall per hour, or footfall density per unit area. Some analyses distinguish total counts from unique visitors and consider dwell time and conversion rate.

Applications include retail analytics to assess store performance, optimize staffing, plan promotions, and compare locations. Urban planners and event organizers use footfall to study pedestrian flows, design layouts, and manage crowding. Real-time monitoring supports capacity management and safety.

Trends and considerations include diurnal and weekly variation, seasonal spikes during holidays, and the impact of nearby events. Footfall data is increasingly linked with online activity to understand omnichannel behavior. Privacy concerns and data protection laws govern how footfall data, especially when tied to individuals, is collected and stored.