Traffic Counting Basics

Traffic counting is just like it sounds: You will be counting the number of people that exit a certain store during a specified time frame, for a specific amount of time.  Depending on the project, you will be asked to collect different metrics about the shoppers you see, but the basics are the same. 

Who to Count?

• All shoppers who appear to be 18+ years old
• If there is a group of shoppers, count every shopper who appears to be 18 and older
• If there is a family, only count shoppers who appear 18+ (do not include children in your counts)

What to Count?

Not only do we want to count the total number of shoppers exiting the store during a specific time frame, we want to know what type of shoppers are seen based on their purchases or non-purchases (this may vary from store to store). You will break down the count by the following: 

• None: no shopping bags or items in hand
• Small Buyer: one shopping bag and/or item or items in hand
• Medium Buyer: two shopping bags
• Large Buyer: multiple shopping bags or a cart
• Mask Wearers: during this "pandemic time" please count the shoppers over the age of 18 wearing a mask exiting the store

How to Count?

You should sit in an inconspicuous spot with a good view of the exit and count using the method that works best for you:

1.  A counting app on your phone. Below is a link to an article walking through how to utilize a counting app that many vendors have found very useful.
   1. 1. • Traffic Counting App
2. A piece of paper with each category marked out and tick marks.
3. Using a note-taking app on your phone such as Evernote or Notion

Whichever way you decide to capture the information, just make sure you are able to easily enter the information into the survey.

*Test Your Knowledge*

In the picture below, how would you count the people exiting the store?

For the answer scroll down 

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If you said "1 small buyer, wearing a mask" you would be correct!!!

Round 2?

For the answer scroll down 

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If you said "2 medium buyers without masks", you would be correct.  (Remember do not count kids)

Round 3?

For the answer scroll down 

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If you said "3 medium buyers and 1 large buyer without masks", you would be correct!