People Counting: Complete Guide

Quick Summary:

The need for reliable and accurate people flow counters is becoming more important as companies increasingly invest in "data-driven" strategies. However, there are so many options on the market that managers get overwhelmed when choosing: passage sensors, stereoscopic cameras, thermal cameras, Wi-Fi sensors, etc. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. But at AlterVision, we believe no additional sensors are required to count customer flow into your establishment. Check out our study below to understand why!

With consumer behavior shifting due to the pandemic, retail stores are looking for ways to increase conversion rates. To start the optimization process, companies need to gain insights into visitor data to understand shopping behavior—and this is where people counters come into play.

People flow counters provide actionable data about customers to help managers make informed decisions. They can be used across various sectors such as retail, shopping centers, supermarkets, hotels, casinos, airports, libraries, schools or universities, gas stations, banks, museums, theme parks, or any other business.

While the concept of counting people flow is simple, the implementation process can be complicated because there are so many options available. We’ve listed a few to help you in your decision-making process:

People Counter by Passage Sensor

A simple sensor installed on doors, consisting of a transmitter and receiver that counts the number of times the transmitter’s signal is interrupted.

• Advantages:
  • Simple
  • Inexpensive
• Disadvantages:
  • Noisy: counts any object, such as bags, shopping carts, etc.
  • Does not exclude employees
  • Counts people entering side by side as one
  • Doesn’t differentiate between exit and entry

People Counter by Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi people counters are compact and discreet—sometimes about the size of a cellphone. They only work when the detected device has Wi-Fi enabled. Additionally, they are complex to install, as it’s hard to differentiate between devices inside or outside the store. Furthermore, modern smartphones (iPhone 5+ or Android 10+) use algorithms that scramble the MAC address, making counting difficult. They shouldn’t be used as the sole counting measure and are more suitable for secondary measurements, like heat maps in spacious stores.

• Advantages:
  • Can exclude employees based on time spent
  • Discreet and compact
  • Low cost
• Disadvantages:
  • Sensitive to the sensor’s position
  • Unstable
  • Doesn’t count people with Wi-Fi turned off and is becoming obsolete due to smartphones not allowing MAC address identification

People Counter by 3D Sensor

This sensor uses a 3D camera positioned above the door, with a computer attached. It’s the most expensive solution on the market and provides higher accuracy compared to the sensors above.

• Advantages:
  • High accuracy: only counts objects above 1.5 meters
• Disadvantages:
  • Does not exclude employees
  • High installation cost

People Counter by Simple Camera

People counters using simple cameras are generally installed on doors, capturing the movement of objects. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use but have low accuracy, especially in environments with lighting variation (outdoor doors) or continuous foot traffic.

• Advantages:
  • More accurate than Wi-Fi and passage sensors
• Disadvantages:
  • Installation cost
  • Equipment purchase cost
  • Doesn’t exclude employees

People Counter through AlterVision Security Cameras

The people counter through AlterVision security cameras offers high accuracy in diverse environments with varying lighting conditions, both day and night, and for any establishment. Additionally, there’s the option to exclude employees from the count, resulting in a customer flow indicator with unique accuracy in the market.

• Advantages:
  • Highest accuracy on the market
  • No installation costs
  • Great cost-benefit ratio
  • Fast, remote setup
  • Employee exclusion through AI
• Disadvantages:
  • Requires security cameras to be installed

Got any questions, or want a quote for our people flow counter? Send us a message, we’d love to help!