Key Takeaways:
- In-store sales still account for 84.6% of total U.S. retail sales. The opportunity is massive for stores that execute well.
- Knowing your conversion rate, peak hours, and repeat visit rate separates growing stores from stagnant ones.
- The best foot traffic strategies compound: local SEO, loyalty programs, and BOPIS reinforce one another. Start with one, build from there.
Foot traffic is the heartbeat of any brick-and-mortar business. No matter how good your products are or how well-designed your store is, none of it matters if people aren’t walking through the door. And with online shopping pulling more consumer attention every year, getting people into your physical store takes more intentional effort than it used to.
The good news: 71 percent of shoppers are spending more in-store, and brick-and-mortar isn’t going anywhere (Source: FirstInsight). Here’s exactly how to get more foot traffic in your store.
What Is Foot Traffic?
Foot traffic is the total number of customers who enter a retail location over a given time period. It’s one of the most important metrics in retail because it’s a leading indicator of sales.
Beyond raw headcount, foot traffic data tells you when customers come, how long they stay, and where they go inside your store, all of which inform smarter decisions about staffing, inventory, promotions, and layout.
Why Foot Traffic Matters More Than You Think
Most retailers track revenue but underinvest in tracking the traffic that drives it. Foot traffic data lets you connect the dots between your retail marketing strategies and your actual sales floor performance.
Here’s what you can do with good foot traffic data:
- Smarter staffing: schedule more associates during peak periods, fewer during slow ones
- Better inventory planning: match stock levels to proven high-traffic windows to avoid overstock and out-of-stocks
- More effective promotions: time flash sales and events to coincide with your busiest days
- Expansion intelligence: understand what’s driving success in one location before replicating it in a second
How to Measure Foot Traffic
Before you can improve foot traffic, you need to measure it. A few reliable methods include:
- People counters and sensors: Infrared sensors placed at store entrances automatically count each person entering. Accurate, passive, and low maintenance.
- Traffic tracking software: Tools like Dor, Kepler Analytics, and Aislelabs collect automated in-store traffic data and surface trends over time.
- Your POS system: Cross-reference total orders processed against foot traffic counts to calculate your conversion rate. This is the most actionable metric because it tells you what percentage of visitors are actually buying.
- Google Business Profile: The “Popular times” section estimates your foot traffic patterns based on aggregated GPS data. Free and surprisingly accurate.
- Social engagement and check-ins: Encourage customers to check in at your store or sign into your Wi-Fi. Each data point adds to your customer profile.
12 Ways to Increase Foot Traffic to Your Retail Store
More foot traffic means more chances to convert, more data to work with, and more customers to turn into regulars. Here’s what works:
1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile
If your store isn’t showing up in local search results, you’re invisible to the customers most likely to walk through your door. A fully optimized Google Business Profile is the single highest-ROI thing most retailers can do to increase foot traffic.
Make sure your listing includes your store name, address, phone number, hours, website link, product photos, and a response to every review. Keep hours updated, as incorrect hours are one of the top reasons customers don’t show up.
2. Invest in Local SEO
78% of location-based smartphone searches result in an offline purchase. That means people are Googling businesses like yours and then walking in.
Local SEO means optimizing your website for city- and neighborhood-level searches, building citations on Yelp, Apple Maps, and Facebook, and earning local backlinks. It takes time, but it’s a compounding investment that drives consistent foot traffic without ongoing ad spend.
PRO TIP!
Sync your product inventory with Google’s Local Inventory Ads. When nearby shoppers search for something you carry, your store shows up in Google Search and Maps with real-time stock availability.
3. Make Your Storefront Work Harder
Your storefront is your most visible and most underused marketing asset. A well-designed window display, clear signage, and a visible entry point do the work of a billboard for everyone who walks or drives past.
Rotate your window display seasonally, use it to promote your current offer or event, and make sure your store name and hours are legible from the street. A simple A-frame sandwich board with a compelling offer outside your door can cost as little as $20 and convert passersby on the spot.
4. Offer Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS)
BOPIS is one of the most effective foot-traffic drivers available to retailers right now. Over 68% of U.S. shoppers used BOPIS at least once in 2024, up from 57% in 2022. And 75% of shoppers who’ve used it say they’re likely to make additional BOPIS purchases. (Source: Market Growth Reports, Business Dasher).
When customers come in to pick up an online order, they see your store, browse, and buy things they didn’t plan to. So ultimately, BOPIS turns your eCommerce channel into a foot traffic engine.
5. Run In-Store Events
Events give people a reason to visit your store that has nothing to do with needing a specific product. Product launches, workshops, local pop-ups, seasonal celebrations, and loyalty customer nights all drive new and repeat visitors through your door.
Partner with one or two complementary local businesses to co-host. They’ll promote the event to their own customer base, extending your reach without additional ad spend.
PRO TIP!
Don’t wait until the day of to promote your event. Post a countdown on social media, send an email 5–7 days out, and follow up with a reminder 24 hours before. Most of your attendance will come from that final reminder.
6. Use Email Marketing to Drive In-Store Visits
Email is one of the most direct ways to pull existing customers back into your store. An email about an in-store-only promotion, a new product arrival, or an upcoming event gives subscribers a specific, timely reason to visit.
Segment your customer relationship campaigns by location, purchase history, and demographics: data your POS system already has. The more relevant the message, the higher the show-up rate.
7. Leverage Social Media for Local Awareness
Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are how local customers discover local businesses. Regular posting (showcasing new products, in-store moments, and behind-the-scenes content) builds the kind of awareness that converts a scroll into a store visit.
Run geo-targeted ads to reach people within a few miles of your location. Even a modest ad budget aimed at a tight local radius can meaningfully move foot traffic, especially around events and promotions.
8. Differentiate Your Product Mix
If you’re in a competitive retail area, carrying the same products as the stores around you is a foot traffic killer. Customers will default to whichever store they already know. A differentiated product mix gives people a reason to specifically seek you out.
Study what your nearby competitors carry and find the gaps. Exclusive brands, locally made products, or a curated niche selection all give customers a reason to make a trip to your store specifically.
9. Implement a Referral Program
Word of mouth is the most trusted form of marketing, and referral programs systematize it. Offer existing customers a discount, gift, or reward for bringing a friend or family member into the store.
People are far more likely to visit a new store on the recommendation of someone they trust than through any advertisement.
PRO TIP!
The best referral incentives reward both parties, not just the person making the referral. A discount for new customers removes the hesitation about visiting somewhere unfamiliar for the first time, making conversion far more likely.
10. Simplify and Speed Up Checkout
Long lines and slow checkout are silent killers of foot traffic. Customers remember friction. A fast, frictionless checkout experience is what makes people want to come back.
Invest in a POS system that processes transactions quickly, supports multiple payment types (tap, mobile, card), and keeps lines moving. The checkout experience is your last impression, so make it a good one.
11. Use Advertising Signage and Digital Displays
In-store and in-window digital displays are increasingly affordable and dramatically more eye-catching than static signage. Use them to promote current offers, showcase products, and create a dynamic storefront that drives foot traffic.
For lower-budget options, even well-placed, professionally printed banners and A-frame signs outside your store can measurably increase walk-in traffic from passersby.
12. Encourage Loyalty and Return Visits
Acquiring new foot traffic is important, but getting existing customers to return more frequently is where the math gets really favorable. A loyalty program that rewards repeat visits, tracks purchase history, and delivers personalized offers turns folks into regulars.
PRO TIP!
Most modern POS systems include built-in loyalty program features. Use them. A customer who visits twice a month is worth dramatically more than one who visits twice a year.
How to Track Whether Your Strategies Are Working
Driving more foot traffic means nothing if you can’t measure the impact. The key metric to watch alongside raw traffic counts is your conversion rate (the percentage of visitors who make a purchase).
Track these KPIs consistently:
- Conversion rate = transactions ÷ total visitors
- Average transaction value: are customers spending more per visit?
- Repeat visit rate: how often are the same customers returning?
- Traffic by time of day and day of week: when are your peaks, and are your promotions moving them?
Cross-reference foot traffic data with your POS sales reports to get the full picture. If traffic goes up but conversions don’t, the problem is something inside the store.
How the Right POS Helps You Measure and Grow Retail Foot Traffic
Your point-of-sale system is one of your most powerful tools for driving foot traffic. Not just for processing sales, but for generating the data that informs every strategy on this list. Sales reports, customer purchase history, peak hour data, and loyalty program analytics all live in your POS.
A cloud-based POS gives you access to this data in real time, from anywhere. That means you can spot a slow Tuesday afternoon and push a last-minute email promotion before 3 pm or notice that Friday evenings convert at twice the rate of Saturday mornings and staff accordingly. All of the above will increase the number of steps taken in your store.
Speak with a product specialist to learn exactly what you need and how we can help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is considered good foot traffic for a retail store?
It varies significantly by retail category, location, and store size. What matters most is your conversion rate and average transaction value. A store with 100 daily visitors and a 40% conversion rate outperforms one with 300 visitors and a 10% rate.
How do I measure foot traffic without expensive tools?
Start with your POS transaction data and your Google Business Profile’s “Popular times” feature. Both are free and give you a solid baseline. Manual door counts during key periods can also supplement digital data.
Does social media actually drive in-store foot traffic?
Yes, especially geo-targeted ads and locally focused organic content. The key is pairing online activity with a compelling in-store reason to visit, like an event, an exclusive offer, or a new arrival that can only be experienced in person.
