Retail spaces today don’t just rely on spreadsheets or monthly sales reports to make daily and strategic decisions. Modern PropTech solutions increasingly rely on radar-based IoT sensors for retail analytics to help property managers and retailers understand how physical spaces are used, enabling smarter decisions around layout optimisation, occupancy management, and customer experience improvement.
This shift is driven by different factors such as competition, better customer satisfaction, and compliance with ever-increasing privacy requirements.
How radar-based IoT sensors work
Footfall traffic monitoring isn’t new to retail spaces, but radar-based sensors have taken it to a new level. Instead of using cameras, these systems rely on a low-power radio signal (mmWave) to reflect details about an object in a given space.
When a person walks through the covered space, the sensor detects them with their speed and even direction. Some, like the SensMax TAC-B 3D-W Indoor People Counting Radar, allow users to configure up to 5 counting lines. They also cover a large area of up to 100m².
Because radar technology is not dependent on lighting conditions or cameras, it works consistently across different retail settings. The radar then uses Wi-Fi or 4G to transmit data to a server in real time. When there’s no wireless connection, it stores all data (up to 1000 days) in its internal memory then transmits it when the connection is back.
Why radar sensors are a better fit for retail environments
Retail environments can be unpredictable due to both internal and external changes. Radar-based sensors allow managers to handle all these without adding new complexities.
Privacy-friendly data collection
The fact that radar sensors don’t capture images makes them a great fit for public-facing environments like retail stores. Camera-based systems need clear visibility of all visitors for accurate counting, which can make customers uncomfortable and even prompt some to change their behaviour.
Radar-based sensors only concentrate on the movement and don’t really look anything like cameras. You can comfortably install them in multiple areas to track customers throughout the store while still ensuring 100% privacy compliance.
Consistent performance across lighting and layout conditions
Retail spaces rarely stay constant as you can have new displays, move some to a different location, or even operate in a space where lighting changes significantly throughout the day.
Radar-based sensors stay reliable across all these as they don’t depend on visual clarity. They can even track customers throughout an entire crowded period where cameras would typically be limited.
Easy installation and low-maintenance operation
Radar sensors are simpler to set up and maintain without disrupting store operations or adding new complexities. All they need is a low-power connection, and then they can be mounted directly on walls at about 2.5-3m.
Sensors like SensMax TAC-B range can connect directly to the local network or use 4G to send data to the SensMax cloud or a local server. Either allows managers to view ready reports with no further action, and no maintenance is required on the sensors.
Scalable across single stores and large portfolios
Radar sensors can be deployed across different sites and still share the same server dashboard for comparison. This makes it easier to understand why performance varies from one region to another and whether certain stores perform better with specific promotions.
If the stores have different layouts, you also get data on the type that encourages longer dwell times or better customer flow.
How real-time retail analytics improves daily and strategic operations
Real-time retail analytics provide managers and store owners with actionable insights that can be used for both day-to-day operations and long-term strategy.
Smarter staffing and space use
Indoor radar-based sensors collect live data on foot traffic and occupancy, which allows managers to plan staffing levels based on actual traffic patterns instead of assumptions. For example, they can see patterns on certain aisles or checkout areas getting busy at specific times, then plan accordingly.
Using the same data, they can also adjust layouts to ensure that customers stay comfortable in busy areas.
Faster response to in-store behavior
Even with daily or weekly stats, certain things like a new display or even a TikTok trend can draw more customers than expected. Managers can notice traffic spikes in real-time and redirect staff from one area to another.
Better planning and forecasting
Beyond daily operation, radar-based analytics give managers and store owners historical and trend data that can be used to make key decisions. For example, they can forecast how a specific holiday will impact customer flow and plan accordingly. This data can then be integrated with the store’s other analytics, like sales and inventory levels, to understand the conversion rates for long-term decision-making.
This combination of immediate action and strategic insights allows retail spaces to respond in the moment and optimize for long-term performance.
Photo by Jack Sparrow
