How It’s Done
The good news? Advanced sensor technology can provide the answers. One way the Walkbase platform provides sensor-based insights is by using Bluetooth sensors to track asset tags attached to shopping carts and baskets in real time. Additionally, Walkbase offers the newest millimeter wave sensors that work like radar — bouncing signals off in-store shoppers and employees to detect position and movement. This innovative combination of sensors offers detailed insights into consumer behavior throughout the store while keeping the data anonymous, eliminating any privacy concerns inherent with camera-based solutions.
Your Walkbase dashboard allows you to see valuable planning and layout data, such as which aisles are often skipped, which end caps attract the most traffic, whether additional cut-throughs are needed to improve navigation and where customers tend to linger. This data empowers retailers to fine-tune their layouts to drive engagement and conversions, a particularly valuable data point when delivering in-store retail media networks (RMNs).
Watch Shopper Traffic in Action
Is It Accurate?
Absolutely. Walkbase’s sensor technology tracks movement with sub-1-meter accuracy, ensuring you get precise insights into shopper behavior. This means you can confidently analyze how customers navigate your store, from the aisles they frequent, to the zones they tend to bypass.
Our team of data scientists work with you to divide your store into clearly defined zones, allowing for granular tracking of every cart or basket as it moves from one section to another. This precision is essential for identifying patterns in foot traffic and making adjustments that can improve both shopper satisfaction and store performance. Whether you’re tracking high-traffic areas, bottlenecks or the success of ads running on specific digital displays, Walkbase’s accuracy gives you the confidence to make data-driven decisions.
What About Privacy?
Walkbase takes privacy seriously, ensuring no personal or biometric data is ever collected. The Bluetooth sensors are designed to track carts and baskets — not individuals — using Bluetooth-enabled tags on store assets. This means customers’ identities remain completely anonymous throughout their shopping journey.
Similarly, one of the most compelling advantages of Walkbase millimeter wave sensor technology is its privacy-friendly nature. These sensors render unidentifiable shapes or “blobs” of activity inside your store. Unlike camera-based systems, Walkbase avoids visual monitoring, eliminating any risk of capturing images or personal details.
This approach aligns with stringent privacy regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and fosters trust with your shoppers. By prioritizing ethical data collection, Walkbase delivers valuable insights without compromising customer privacy.
Retailers can confidently use Walkbase to improve their store layouts and marketing strategies while maintaining transparency and respect for their customers’ rights.
Making Sense of the Data
Collecting data is only the first step — turning it into actionable insights is where Walkbase truly shines. The platform’s user-friendly dashboard offers a comprehensive view of shopper activity in your store, enabling you to identify trends, measure performance and uncover opportunities for improvement. Paired with data you’re already collecting, such as POS data, you are getting as close to a 360 degree view of your store as possible.
Heatmaps provide a visual representation of foot traffic, highlighting which areas are most popular and which are underutilized. These insights can help you adjust product placement, optimize promotional displays, identify high value store zones and even redesign your store layout to encourage better flow.
Beyond heatmaps, the dashboard includes detailed metrics on zone visits, dwell time and shopper pathing. You can see exactly where customers spend the most time and which areas may need more attention to drive engagement. Walkbase also supports historical comparisons, allowing you to track the impact of layout changes or marketing campaigns over time.
The data isn’t just for internal use — it’s a powerful tool for collaboration. Share insights with merchandising teams to refine planograms, provide clear evidence of ROI to advertisers on the value of investment in your in-store retail media network and identify strategies to increase basket sizes and overall sales. Walkbase provides the data for you to make smarter decisions with a clear understanding of your store’s dynamics.