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 12. The MRC defines dwell time generally as the elapsed time from the initiation of a visit to the last audience activity associated with that visit, reported on the basis of device sensor data, registration or panel participation 3.
Location data methods
Azira's methodology separates inner dwell time from outer dwell time 41. Inner dwell time is the amount of time the device can be confirmed as in the store, meaning it emitted an observation point within the exact retail boundary 1. Outer dwell time is the length of time between the last point before entry into the retail location and the first recorded point after exit 4. The resulting report contains one row per study location, with total visitors, measured inner visits, median inner dwell time in seconds, measured outer visits, measured outer dwell time and average dwell time 1.
Camera-based methods
Dwell time analysis is an AI video analytics capability that measures how long individuals remain in a defined zone, such as a store aisle or a service desk 2. The pipeline combines detection, tracking and zone mapping, with operators marking the area of interest in each camera view and person detection running on every person in the frame 2. Advertima Audience AI reports dwell time as the total time a shopper is captured within a specific zone 5.
Reporting practice
For advertising displays, dwell time is acquired at the screen or shelf level and represents time spent in the display exposure zone 6. Retailers should provide aggregate or average time plus a distance matrix of viewability by zones 65. Dwell times should be measured frequently enough to remain representative across time of day, day of week and seasonality 3.