What is footfall? How to track and use it to drive retail success

In commercial real estate and retail, footfall is one of the most valuable metrics for measuring property performance, tenant success and consumer engagement. Whether you’re managing a shopping centre, a mixed-use development or a single store, understanding how people move through your property provides the insight needed to optimise operations and boost revenue.

From tracking how visitors enter and exit to analysing movement patterns in retail stores, footfall data has become an essential tool for property owners, managers and tenants. With modern technology, it’s now possible to capture, analyse and act on this data in real time, helping properties thrive in a competitive landscape.

This guide explores what footfall is, why it matters, how to measure it and the ways you can leverage analytics to unlock long-term retail success.

Table of contents

• What is footfall in retail?
• Why footfall data matters for property owners
• How to measure footfall effectively
• Ways to increase footfall in commercial properties
• Benefits of footfall analytics for retail properties
• How MRI helps retail owners optimise footfall
• FAQs

What is footfall in retail?

Footfall refers to the number of people who enter, pass through or spend time in a retail space. While volume is important, footfall also encompasses patterns, dwell time, conversion rates and repeat visits.

In retail, footfall is one of the leading indicators of performance. High volumes often suggest strong consumer interest, but understanding who is visiting, when they come and how long they stay is what turns numbers into insights. A shop might see steady traffic but low conversion rates, highlighting potential issues with pricing or product mix. In a shopping centre, weekend spikes in visitors may still reveal underused zones that could be better optimised for new tenants.

By combining footfall data with sales and occupancy insights, landlords and tenants can form a more complete picture of property health and consumer behaviour.

Why footfall data matters for property owners

For landlords and property managers, footfall data is both a performance metric and a decision-making tool:

One of its most valuable uses is in assessing tenant performance and leasing value. Footfall figures show how many potential customers a space attracts, while capture rates reveal how effectively tenants are converting that interest into sales. These numbers provide hard evidence that supports renewal discussions or helps identify underperforming tenants.

Another critical use is in informing rent pricing and lease renewals. A store located in an area of consistently high traffic justifies higher lease rates, while spaces that see less activity may require lower rents or creative lease terms to attract tenants. Having accurate visitor data gives landlords a stronger foundation for negotiations, ensuring pricing reflects real demand.

Footfall also plays a vital role in supporting marketing and event planning. Understanding peak times and visitor demographics helps landlords plan events or promotions that appeal to their target audience. For instance, data might reveal that families frequent the shopping centres at weekends, encouraging management to host family-friendly events at those times.

Data insights also enable smarter space planning. With footfall measurement, managers can see which areas of a property receive the most or least activity. High-traffic areas may be best suited to anchor tenants or experiential retailers, while low-traffic zones may benefit from layout adjustments or additional signage to draw customers in.

Finally, consistently strong footfall data helps attract and retain tenants. Retailers want to operate in spaces where they know they’ll see good customer flow. Being able to demonstrate reliable visitor numbers makes a property more appealing, supporting tenant retention and ensuring higher occupancy rates.

How to measure footfall effectively

Modern technology has transformed the ways property owners and retailers can measure footfall.

• Infrared sensors and counters provide a simple and cost-effective method of tracking how many people pass through an entrance. While they don’t offer detail on demographics or dwell time, they are useful for establishing baseline numbers that can be compared across time periods.
• Wi-Fi and bluetooth tracking take analysis further by detecting signals from mobile devices. This allows property managers to understand not just how many people enter a property, but how long they stay, how often they return and which areas they visit. For larger centres this offers a richer picture of customer loyalty and behaviour.
• Video analytics and AI-powered cameras provide even deeper insights. These systems can track movement flows, detect age ranges or group sizes and analyse how shoppers move between stores. This technology is particularly useful for identifying bottlenecks or underutilised spaces that could be redesigned.
• Mobile app engagement and geolocation data adds a digital layer of customer behaviour. For properties with branded apps, data can track how visitors interact with digital offers, store locators or loyalty schemes, providing a link between online engagement and in-person visits.
• Finally, POS system integration connects footfall to real-world outcomes. By linking visitor counts to sales data, property owners and tenants can calculate true conversion rates, providing an essential KPI for both leasing decisions and marketing ROI.

Selecting the right approach depends on the scale and complexity of the property. Smaller retailers may rely on counters, while larger developments benefit from integrated footfall tracking software connected to multiple data sources.

Ways to increase footfall in commercial properties

Boosting footfall requires a mix of creativity, investment and strategy.

Hosting events and experiences is one of the most effective methods. Seasonal markets, cultural performances or family-friendly attractions create reasons for people to visit beyond shopping alone. These activities often lead to increased dwell time and encourage repeat visits when events become part of the community calendar.

Carefully curating the tenant mix also makes a difference. Shoppers today expect more than retail – they want dining, entertainment and services under one roof. Adding cinemas, gyms or medical facilities creates destination appeal and ensures people visit for varied purposes, which in turn benefits retailers.

Practical improvements like signage and wayfinding play a role. Clear navigation helps visitors feel comfortable exploring, which reduces the likelihood of them sticking to familiar routes or avoiding certain areas of the property.

Promotions and loyalty programmes encourage customers to return more frequently. Exclusive deals, digital vouchers or reward points can make shoppers feel valued, driving both repeat visits and larger basket sizes.

Partnerships with local businesses and organisations expand the property’s reach. Collaborations might include hosting a farmers’ market with local vendors or partnering with nearby schools for performances, helping to attract new audiences.

And finally, enhancing the physical environment has a long-lasting impact. Comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, greenery and art installations transform shopping centres into inviting spaces where people want to spend time. A welcoming environment increases dwell time and creates positive associations with the property.

Benefits of footfall analytics for retail properties

The real power of footfall data lies in the analytics that turn raw numbers into actionable insights.

For landlords, analytics provide transparency into how tenants are performing. Identifying high-traffic zones enables them to position anchor tenants in prime locations, while underused areas may be targeted for reconfiguration or marketing campaigns.

Mapping customer flow patterns offers insight into how visitors navigate a space. If certain areas are consistently bypassed, property managers can rethink layouts, add signage or adjust tenant placement to balance activity across the site.

Measuring the impact of marketing campaigns or events becomes far easier with traffic analytics. By comparing data before, during and after a promotion, managers can demonstrate clear ROI and fine-tune future efforts.

For operations teams, traffic data supports smarter staffing and operational planning. Knowing peak hours helps align security, cleaning and customer service teams to ensure resources are used effectively without overspending.

At a strategic level, analytics improve landlord-tenant relationships. Reliable data creates a shared understanding during lease negotiations, helping both parties align on rent levels, space usage and expectations. This builds trust and supports longer-term partnerships.

Across portfolios, analytics support benchmarking and comparison. Owners with multiple properties can spot high performers, address underperformance quickly and allocate resources to maximise overall portfolio health.

How MRI helps retail owners optimise footfall

MRI Software provides the tools to capture, analyse and act on footfall data across retail portfolios with powerful footfall monitoring software and integrated analytics. By harnessing real-time data, retail leaders and property owners can:

• Monitor real-time and historical traffic with retail analytics dashboards.
• Integrate IoT sensors and AI-driven camera systems for accurate, scalable insights.
• Build data-driven reports linking traffic to leasing KPIs.
• Automate marketing campaigns targeting local audiences based on behavioural data.
• Benchmark performance across multiple sites for consistent portfolio management.

These capabilities help retail owners not only measure footfall, but also connect insights directly to leasing, operations and marketing strategies. By pairing analytics with action, properties can turn visitors into customers and strengthen their competitive edge. To learn more, contact us today on +27 21 686 3145.

FAQs