---
title: "Product analytics vs people counting | GoTrack"
description: "People counters measure how many visitors came in. Product analytics measures what they did with your products. How they differ."
url: https://gotrackgo.com/en/product-analytics-vs-people-counting
language: en
updated: 2026-11-08
publisher: GOTONOM Yazılım Teknolojileri A.Ş.
---

# Product analytics vs people counting: what each one measures

Both use cameras in a store, and they answer different questions. Most retailers who ask for one first need to know which question they are asking.

**People counting** measures visitors: how many came in, when, and how busy the store was. **Product analytics**, which is what GoTrack does, measures interaction with products: which were picked up, held and put back. GoTrack's core is product analytics, and it can [count visitors on request](https://gotrackgo.com/en/visitor-counting).

## Side by side

| Question | People counting | GoTrack product analytics |
|---|---|---|
| How many visitors came in? | Yes | On request |
| When is the store busiest? | By footfall | By product interaction, per hour and zone |
| Which products get picked up? | No | Yes, per product and colour |
| How long is a product held? | No | Yes |
| Which products are put back? | No | Yes |
| Which products are never touched? | No | Yes |
| Can a screen react to the product in hand? | No | Yes |
| Does it recognise individuals? | Depends on the system | No: no face recognition, no identities |

## Which one do you need?

- **Store traffic and staffing:** visitor counting, from a people counter or [GoTrack on request](https://gotrackgo.com/en/visitor-counting).
- **Assortment, placement, colour and screen content:** product analytics.
- **Both:** GoTrack's core is product analytics, and visitor counting can be added on request with the same cameras, so both come from one system.
- **Still choosing?** Compare the four kinds of in-store analytics in the [buyer's checklist](https://gotrackgo.com/en/choosing-in-store-analytics).

## Questions

### 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.

### 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.

### Does GoTrack work without processing personal data?

GoTrack does not store images, identify anyone or send personal data to the cloud, but it does process camera images in real time on the store device. How that is classified under KVKK or GDPR, and the notices it needs, is for the retailer's legal team to assess as data controller.

## Further reading

- [What is store analytics? Five data sources](https://gotrackgo.com/en/what-is-store-analytics): Store analytics turns what happens in a physical store into data. The five data sources, the question each one answers, and where to start.
- [How to choose a people counter](https://gotrackgo.com/en/how-to-choose-a-people-counter): People counters compared: infrared beam, thermal, 3D and AI camera. Strengths and weaknesses, how to test accuracy, privacy, and what to ask a vendor.
- [Choosing in-store analytics: buyer's checklist](https://gotrackgo.com/en/choosing-in-store-analytics): People counting, heatmaps, shelf recognition or product interaction? What each answers, what to ask any vendor, and how to design a pilot.
- [Computer vision in retail: what it can measure](https://gotrackgo.com/en/computer-vision-in-retail): Seven ways stores use computer vision, from people counting to product interaction: what each measures, where the camera goes and its limits.

## See product analytics on your own products.

We will show you what GoTrack measures on products like yours.

[Request a demo](https://gotrackgo.com/en/demo) · or write to info@gotonom.com

---

GoTrack · by GOTONOM · https://gotrackgo.com/en/ · info@gotonom.com