Footfall data can help you spot peak hours, make smarter staffing choices, and evaluate the impact of promotions. On top of that, it can help improve your layout and make your customers feel welcome. This is an experience that even the most well-designed e-commerce sites can’t match.
But to get there, you need to find the right people counter for your shop. To get started, look at the size of your floor area, the number of entrances, and the technology that suits what you already have. Most modern shop people counters are easy to use, and you don’t need an IT team or a server farm to benefit from them.
In this guide, we’ll look at the best people counters for small shops and how you can use them to keep your customers happy and increase sales.
1. SensMax S1 – Simple, Wireless Footfall Tracking
If you run a small or medium-sized shop, this infrared sensor can meet all your needs. The device is simple and easy to use, and it provides highly accurate footfall data, especially for standard doors.
One reason why the SensMax S1 is popular with small shops is that you can use it without extra cost or configuration. Installation is cable-free, helping you avoid cluttering your already small shop.
Unlike traditional camera-based systems, the S1 is entirely anonymous. It doesn’t film and relies only on invisible infrared beams. So, you don’t have to worry about it spooking your customers.
However, note that the SensMax S1 is unidirectional. This means it can’t tell whether a customer is entering or exiting the store. But if you use it for independent boutiques, bookstores, or small cafes, it will give you a reliable hourly and daily footfall count to help make better staffing and planning decisions.
The S1 has three variants that you can pick based on the size of your entrance or floor space. We recommend the S1 LR for a communication range of 150-250m and the SLR for anything higher.
2. SensMax D3 – Bidirectional Counting for Accuracy
The SensMax D3 is an excellent choice if you run a busier shop. It counts visitors in real-time and sends updates every 20 minutes, helping to optimize staffing schedules and minimize queues.
Unlike the S1, the SensMax D3 can tell whether a person is entering or exiting. You can see how many people have entered the store and, crucially, how many remain. This is essential for calculating conversion rates or understanding how long customers stay in your shop. If customers barely stay in your shop, it’s a sign you need to improve engagement with personalised service, inviting layout, and exclusive experiences.
In addition to being bidirectional, the D3 is among the most precise sensors available. It's 99% accurate, even during peak hours. We recommend the D3 if your shop has significant daily or weekend peaks. It’s also perfect if your customers frequently linger or browse before exiting. Once set up, you don’t need to worry about replacing the batteries for at least a year.
3. SensMax D3 TS – Real-Time Occupancy and Live Insights
If you need real-time monitoring, the SensMax D3 TS Real-Time Wireless People sensor is worth checking out. It goes beyond what the SensMax D3 can do and eliminates the need to wait 20 minutes for periodic footfall data. When a customer walks into your store, that entry is immediately reflected in your dashboard.
SensMax D3 TS is an excellent choice for small shops with frequent traffic spikes. With this sensor, store managers can spot a surge the minute it starts and quickly organise to respond. You can also pair the sensor with MQTT triggers to automatically open a second register and alert an attendant.
Like the D3, the SensMax D3 TS is wireless and battery-powered. However, you’ll need a real-time gateway to receive continuous data, and as a result, it’s a bit more costly to install.
4. SensMax TAC-B Radar – Sophisticated Counting Without Cameras
TAC-B Radar is yet another people-counting device from SensMax that allows shop managers to stay on top of their business. It provides real-time occupancy monitoring and visitor flow analysis in shops, offices, and libraries.
If your shop has a wide doorway and open spaces, the SensMax TAC-B radar is the most suitable option. Unlike the S1 and D3, which use infrared beam sensors that require a narrow doorway, radar sensors cover a broader area and can track multiple people simultaneously.
We recommend the TAC-B radar if you run an open-plan shop with multiple entry and exit points or frontages without a defined doorway. The radar counter offers lots of benefits, including counting how many people stop in front of digital signage and tracking dwell time.
Even more impressive, it provides the number of people in specific aisles or areas in your shop. This can help you determine where to place additional staff and where to move high-margin products. It also lets you spot dead zones, so you can remove bottlenecks or rework the layout without guesswork.
Turning Footfall Into Better Decisions and Increased Sales
Shops don’t need the same people-counting devices. If you run a small shop and are only getting started with footfall analytics, a simple low-cost setup like the SensMax S1 is more than enough.
The D3s are better for busier shops or when you need to know the ins and outs to track occupancy. Just remember that of the two, only the D3 TS offers live insights. If you need real-time data, you can alternatively choose the TAC-B radar.
Once you choose the right counter and start making changes based on the data, your store will pick up or grow faster. It removes guesswork when planning staff shifts, placing in-store promotions, and tracking conversion rates.
