Questions about running a store
Foot traffic, queues, shelf availability, shrink, in-store advertising. Every answer lists its sources, so you can cite it.
- Answers
- 59
- Sources cited
- 123
- Topics
- 11
Store layout2
- What data do you need before rearranging a store layout? Before rearranging a store layout, gather foot traffic patterns, purchase history and external factors, since analysing these is what allows a retailer to optimise store layout and design [1]. 2 sources
- What does a retail heatmap show, and what does it hide? A retail heatmap shows customer behavior and movement patterns inside a store as a visual representation built from location analytics [1]. 2 sources
Foot traffic13
- How accurate is camera-based people counting? Published figures for camera-based and sensor-based counting sit in the high nineties, with documented conditions that pull real-world performance below the headline number. 4 sources
- How are staff excluded from footfall counts? Staff are excluded by detecting employees and separating them from customers within the people-counting system, so that the footfall data reflects genuine visitor traffic rather than staff movement [1]. 2 sources
- How do people counters handle children? People counters generally count children as people, which means a child walking through the entrance adds to the footfall figure the same way an adult does. 4 sources
- How does mall footfall differ from store footfall? Mall footfall counts visitors to a whole shopping destination, while store footfall counts visitors to an individual shop, and the two behave differently in the same trading period. 8 sources
- How is department-level traffic tracked in a fashion store? Department-level traffic in a fashion store is tracked by measuring in-store traffic at defined zones rather than at the front door alone: IAB Europe defines in-store traffic as the number of measurable shoppers located at various zones, including total store, entrance, near screens, shelves, aisles and check-out [1][2]. 6 sources
- How is traffic counted in a store with several doors? Traffic is counted at the entrance, where retail stores install people counters that use infrared technology and are calibrated to count anyone passing through a designated area in the entrance [1]. 4 sources
- Is conversion a fair measure of one employee? Conversion can be attributed to one employee where the system records that employee's activity, and the sources set conditions around using it that way. 5 sources
- What counts as a store visit when the same shopper enters twice in one day? Each entry is counted separately in visit and traffic metrics, while the person behind both entries is counted once as a unique visitor [1]. 4 sources
- What counts as a transaction when conversion is calculated? A transaction, for conversion purposes, is a completed purchase counted against the population of visitors who had the opportunity to make it [1][2]. 9 sources
- What does basket data add to footfall data? Basket data adds evidence of purchase to a footfall count, which measures entries rather than outcomes. 4 sources
- What is the difference between footfall, visits and unique visitors? Footfall counts people entering a shop or business, and a portion of that footfall leaves without buying anything, which is how Norwich Business Improvement District in the United Kingdom monitors it [1]. 4 sources
- What makes a people counter miscount? Staff movement is one of the most common sources of miscounting: without staff exclusion, a people-counting system records employees alongside customers, so the footfall figure stops reflecting genuine visitor traffic [1]. 2 sources
- Why do two foot traffic systems report different numbers for the same store? Two foot traffic systems report different numbers for the same store largely because the providers behind them use different measurement methodologies. 3 sources
Shelf and promotions12
- How do you measure whether an in-store promotion lifted sales? Measure promotion lift by comparing exposed shoppers or stores against a control group, so the sales difference can be attributed to the promotion rather than to normal buying behaviour. 4 sources
- How does computer vision score planogram compliance? Computer vision scores planogram compliance by analysing a photograph of the shelf and identifying what is actually there, so that the observed execution can be compared against the layout the brand intended [1]. 2 sources
- How is a promotion measured at the shelf itself? At the shelf, a promotion is measured on two tracks: whether the promotion was executed correctly, and what the shelf space it occupies returns. 5 sources
- How is on-shelf out-of-stock rate calculated? The on-shelf out-of-stock rate is calculated by dividing the number of missing SKUs by the total listed SKUs and multiplying by 100: OOS (%) = (Number of missing SKUs ÷ Total listed SKUs) × 100 [1]. 3 sources
- How is shelf availability measured automatically? Shelf availability is measured automatically by comparing the number of products present on the shelf against the number expected to be there, expressed as a percentage [1]. 3 sources
- What do out-of-stocks cost a retailer? Out-of-stocks cost retailers an estimated $934 billion in lost sales globally each year, a figure IHL Group put forward in 2018 [1]. 7 sources
- What does a shelf audit actually check? A shelf audit checks whether the products that should be on the shelf are actually there, in the right quantity, position and price. 3 sources
- What does image recognition actually detect on a shelf? On a shelf, image recognition detects the products themselves, their stock levels, how they are placed, and shopper interaction with them. 6 sources
- What does planogram compliance actually measure? Planogram compliance measures the degree to which actual shelf execution in a store matches the brand's intended layout [1]. 5 sources
- What happens when a planogram does not fit the store? When a planogram does not fit the store, the shelf itself stops matching the drawing, and the consequences run from misplaced product to lost sales. 5 sources
- What is the difference between inventory accuracy and on-shelf availability? Inventory accuracy describes whether the stock recorded in the system matches the stock physically present, while on-shelf availability describes whether a listed product is physically present and accessible on the shelf when a shopper looks for it [1]. 3 sources
- Why do product data errors reach the shelf? Product data errors reach the shelf because the data is created upstream, propagates through ordering and planogram systems, and is often only caught when physical goods finally meet it. 5 sources
Shrinkage6
- Do markdowns count as shrink? In practice, markdowns are counted as shrink by most retailers, though the treatment depends on the definition a retailer adopts. 3 sources
- How does a wrong on-hand count create shrink? A wrong on-hand count creates shrink because shrink is measured as the gap between the stock a retailer expects to have and what it actually counts [1]. 6 sources
- Is shrink measured against sales or against inventory? Shrink is calculated against inventory and then commonly reported against sales, so both denominators appear in practice. 5 sources
- What is the difference between known and unknown shrink? Known shrink is loss that has already been identified, recorded and processed, while unknown shrink is the loss that only emerges when a physical stock-take is reconciled against the company's book stock [1]. 2 sources
- What share of retail shrink is preventable? The 2026 Total Retail Loss Benchmark Report puts preventable loss at 73% of shrink, or $66B of the $90B total it measures [1]. 5 sources
- What shrink rate is normal for a store? The median U.S. retail shrinkage rate is 1.4% of sales, though what counts as "acceptable" varies significantly by retail format and category [1]. 2 sources
Customer behaviour4
- How is storefront dwell time measured? Dwell time at a store location is measured by timing how long a person or device remains inside a defined boundary, using either mobile location observations or camera-based zone analytics [1][2]. 6 sources
- What can fitting room data tell a fashion retailer? Fitting room data tells a fashion retailer how many visitors reach the point where the purchase decision is actually made, and how many of those visitors buy [1]. 2 sources
- What does dwell time actually tell you? Dwell time tells you how long a shopper had the opportunity to be exposed to something, measured as the time spent within view of an advertising display [1]. 2 sources
- What in-store data does merchandising personalisation use? Merchandising personalisation draws on real-time selling data at store level, which lets merchandising teams build bespoke assortments for each location by allocating more of a certain colour, fit or size, along with new products and collections, to a specific store's inventory [1]. 9 sources
Digital signage3
- How do you calculate ROI on in-store digital signage? ROI on in-store digital signage is calculated by connecting exposure and engagement metrics from the screens to actual point-of-sale data, then comparing year-on-year changes to isolate campaign contribution [1]. 3 sources
- How is attention to a retail screen measured rather than time spent in front of it? Attention to a retail screen is measured by detecting whether a shopper actually looked at the screen and for how long, which is reported separately from dwell time [1]. 3 sources
- How is digital signage audience measured? Digital signage audience is measured through either a bottom-up or a top-down method, according to the DOOH & In-Store Retail Media Playbook 2024 [1]. 1 source
Drive-thru and restaurants3
- How is drive-thru speed of service measured? Drive-thru speed of service is measured by timing the visit in segments, from the moment a vehicle joins the line to the moment the order is handed over [1]. 3 sources
- How is restaurant staffing matched to measured demand? Restaurant staffing is matched to demand by forecasting expected volume for each day and daypart, then building the schedule to that forecast instead of to habit [1]. 4 sources
- What data is used to plan restaurant staffing for peak hours? Restaurant staffing for peak hours is planned from demand forecast data rather than habit, so labor is scheduled to expected volume instead of being reacted to after the fact [1]. 2 sources
Queues2
- What is the difference between service time and wait time? Wait time is how long a customer spends in line before being served, while service duration is the time spent at the service point itself; queuing theory treats these separately, distinguishing waiting from service capacity [1]. 3 sources
- Which queue metrics predict abandonment? Queue abandonment is predicted by wait duration and its predictability, by how visible the expected wait is to the customer, and by perceived rather than objective waiting time [1][2]. 2 sources
Retail media10
- How does in-store retail media measurement differ from online measurement? In-store retail media measurement differs from online measurement chiefly in what is counted and which standards apply: measurement of in-store activity should adhere to the MRC Digital Place-Based Audience Measurement Standards where applicable, while on-site retail media covers advertising sold on the retailer's own digital properties [1][2][3]. 6 sources
- How is a digital out-of-home audience figure verified? A digital out-of-home audience figure is verified by layering evidence of play, evidence of audience presence, and independent third-party validation on top of the reported number. 3 sources
- How is reach calculated for an in-store advertising campaign? Reach for an in-store advertising campaign is sized using an impression multiplier, described in the Digital Out of Home (DOOH) & In-Store Retail Media Playbook 2024 as impressions per ad play, with impression multipliers compiled through location-based data used for audience sizing [1]. 2 sources
- How is viewability defined for an advertising impression? Viewability defines an advertising impression as viewable when the ad meets set pixel and time thresholds, giving assurance of an opportunity to see it [1]. 3 sources
- What counts as an impression in digital out-of-home advertising? In digital out-of-home, an impression is the count of how many people are exposed to an advertisement play [1]. 3 sources
- What do the MRC out-of-home measurement standards require? The MRC Out-of-Home Measurement Standards, Phase 1 – Exclusive of Audience, were finalised in April 2024 as Version 1.0 and are sponsored by the Media Rating Council [1]. 2 sources
- What has to be true before an ad impression may be counted? An ad impression may only be counted when an ad counter receives and responds to an HTTP request for a tracking asset from a client [1][2]. 2 sources
- What is the difference between an opportunity to see and an impression? An opportunity to see (OTS) is a qualified type of impression, defined by the conditions attached to it [1][2]. 3 sources
- What must a retail media network be able to report to a buyer? A retail media network must be able to report campaign performance that a buyer can act on: self-service, real-time, ad-attributed campaign metrics together with tailored performance read-outs [1]. 4 sources
- Which standards define in-store retail media measurement? No single industry-wide standard currently defines in-store retail media measurement. 4 sources
Supply chain1
Privacy3
- How does in-store measurement work without identifying anyone? In-store measurement works by counting presence and behaviour in aggregate, so the output is a number of shoppers rather than a named shopper. 5 sources
- What does relying on legitimate interest require a retailer to do? Relying on legitimate interest requires a retailer to work through a three-step assessment before the processing starts, and to document it. 3 sources
- When does in-store analytics need consent rather than legitimate interest? Consent is required once in-store analytics processes personal data for purposes that legitimate interest cannot carry, in particular special category data and marketing-driven uses [1]. 6 sources
Nothing here matches that. Try a shorter word — shrink, queue, GDPR.
Pygmalios measures footfall, queues and dwell time in physical stores.