AALBORG BOOSTS URBAN PLANNING WITH COUNTMATTERS’ CUSTOMER COUNTER SYSTEM
Aalborg Municipality has taken a major step in data-led city development by implementing a customer counter system and retail footfall analytics from CountMatters. The goal: create a smarter, more attractive downtown by understanding real visitor movement and city-center engagement patterns.
Modern cities compete on experience. To attract brands, keep high-street retail thriving, and plan public spaces responsibly, municipalities need reliable and privacy-safe insight into how people interact with urban environments.
WHY FOOTFALL MATTERS FOR CITY DEVELOPMENT
Aalborg City Manager Jes Asmussen explains the need for accurate data:
“At Aalborg City, we aim to acquire a better understanding of movement patterns in our city center. To attract new brands and store concepts, data is indispensable.”
The city needed to answer foundational questions:
How many people use key streets and districts?
How long do they stay?
What impact do events, construction, and seasonality have?
Which areas attract families vs. working professionals?
These insights now help Aalborg shape store hours, event planning, footfall-based store placements, and public space investment.
DATA TO SUPPORT RETAIL AND PLACE-MAKING
Aalborg has seen shifts in consumer behavior post-pandemic. Reliable retail footfall analytics allows city and business stakeholders to make decisions based on fact, not assumption:
Optimizing retail street layouts
Evaluating event impact in real time
Supporting new-store investment cases
Guiding pedestrianization and parking strategy
Measuring construction disruption impact
CHOOSING COUNTMATTERS
After reviewing market options, Aalborg selected CountMatters for:
Precision visitor counting sensor technology
Demographic insight capabilities
GDPR-first anonymized data handling
Operational dashboards for city partners
Scalable urban rollout
Asmussen highlights the partnership:
“From the first meeting, we had a constructive dialogue and clear understanding of goals. Implementation has been seamless and professional.”
TECH SETUP: SENSORS + WIFI = COMPLETE PICTURE
Aalborg deployed a mix of technologies, including visitor counting sensors and WiFi-based devices to measure flow, dwell time, and repeat visitation patterns across the city’s commercial core. The approach ensures accuracy while offering scalable coverage.
CountMatters also supports leading solutions such as Xovis sensors where 3D granularity is required.
PRIVACY & ETHICS FIRST
All CountMatters deployments are fully compliant with European privacy rules. Individuals are never identifiable; demographic segmentation is statistical, not personal.
VALUE FOR CITIES AND RETAIL DISTRICTS
The result is a living data layer on top of the city, enabling:
Better retail leasing pitches
Event ROI reporting
Evidence-based urban planning
Investment attraction
Improved tourism strategy
FAQ
How accurate is the data?
CountMatters sensors offer high accuracy and statistical demographic projections.
What about price?
Pricing varies by scale and sensor mix. Our team tailors solutions based on goals and footprint.
Can cities combine sensors and WiFi?
Yes — mixed-method deployment is recommended for coverage and depth.
Is installation disruptive?
No — devices are compact and installed with minimal interruption.
CONCLUSION
With a customer counter system and retail footfall analytics, Aalborg now makes smarter urban decisions based on objective data rather than assumptions. This approach strengthens high-street competitiveness, enhances public planning, and builds a forward-thinking vision for residents, visitors, and retailers alike.
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