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How to choose a people counter: technologies, accuracy and questions to ask
A people counter counts how many people enter a store and, with sales, gives the conversion rate. The technologies differ a lot, from a beam across the door to a 3D camera above the entrance. Which fits when, how to test accuracy, and what to check on privacy.
Definition
A people counter is a device and software that counts the people passing through an entrance, with their direction: how many came in, how many left, how many were inside each hour. Joined with sales it gives the store's conversion rate (buyers / visitors). A counter does not need to know who anyone is; a good one only counts the crossing.
Technologies, side by side
| Technology | Strength | Weakness | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrared beam | Cheap, simple to install | Counts two people side by side as one, weak on direction | Narrow, low-traffic entrances |
| Thermal sensor | Takes no images, unaffected by light | Harder to separate people in crowds and warm spaces | Where privacy comes first |
| 3D / stereo camera | High accuracy in crowds, direction and height | More expensive, depends on ceiling height | Busy store and mall entrances |
| 2D camera with AI | Can use standard hardware, open to further analysis | Sensitive to light and angle; installation quality decides | Stores that will use the camera for other measures too |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | No hardware at the door, wide area | Sees only phones that are switched on; an estimate, not a count | Mall-level trends; weak for store conversion |
Test the accuracy yourself
A vendor's accuracy figure comes from its own test setup; your door, light and shopper flow are different. During a pilot, count the entrance by hand for one busy and one quiet hour and compare with the system. Look especially at:
- Groups: two people side by side, a parent carrying a child, a pushchair.
- Staff: employees walking in and out all day lower the conversion rate. Can the system separate them, or is a correction needed?
- People lingering at the door: is someone who stops or turns back counted twice?
- Changing light: is the count consistent between a sunny afternoon and the evening?
Privacy
Counting does not require recognising anyone. For a camera-based counter, ask: where are images processed (on the device or in the cloud), are images stored, is there face recognition or recognition of the same person across visits? Systems that process images on the device and send only the count are the easiest to explain to shoppers and to a data-protection officer. This is not legal advice; ten questions to ask are in the privacy checklist.
Questions to ask before buying
- Is the data hourly or every 15 minutes, and does it line up with your till data's time buckets?
- How are staff separated?
- If the internet drops, is the count lost, or held on the device and sent later?
- How do you get the data into your own BI or reporting (export, API, webhook)?
- Can the same device measure anything beyond the door, or does it only count entries?
Where GoTrack fits
GoTrack's focus is product analytics: which product shoppers pick up, how long they hold it and whether they put it back. For stores that also need visitor numbers, it counts on request with the same standard cameras, anonymously and without face recognition, set up per project. If you only want to count the door, a dedicated counter is enough; if you also want product interaction, one system can replace two. The difference is in the product analytics vs people counting comparison.
Questions
Does GoTrack count people?
On request, yes. GoTrack's standard reports are about products: what shoppers pick up, hold and put back. For stores that also need visitor numbers, GoTrack can count visitors with the same cameras, anonymously and without face recognition; it is set up per project.
How is visitor counting set up?
On request, per project. GoTrack counts visitors with the same cameras, anonymously and without face recognition. Tell us which entrances or areas to count and it is set up for that store.
Can we have product analytics and visitor counting together?
Yes. Product analytics is GoTrack's core, and visitor counting can be added on request with the same cameras, so both come from one system.
How is GoTrack different from people counters and heatmaps?
People counters count who comes in, heatmaps show where people walk, and shelf recognition checks what is on the shelf. GoTrack measures what shoppers do with the products themselves: which product and colour is picked up, how long it is held, and which are put back or compared. Visitor counting can be added on request.
Do shoppers need to be informed?
Yes. The retailer, as data controller, informs shoppers, and the notices should describe the analytics, not only security cameras. GOTONOM provides the technical description your legal team needs.
From the door to the shelf: tell us what you want to count.
Visitors, product interest or both? We will plan the setup that fits your stores.
or write to info@gotonom.com