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.
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:
These insights now help Aalborg shape store hours, event planning, footfall-based store placements, and public space investment.
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:
After reviewing market options, Aalborg selected CountMatters for:
Asmussen highlights the partnership:
“From the first meeting, we had a constructive dialogue and clear understanding of goals. Implementation has been seamless and professional.”
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.
All CountMatters deployments are fully compliant with European privacy rules. Individuals are never identifiable; demographic segmentation is statistical, not personal.
GDPR Note: CountMatters solutions are privacy-safe and never store biometrics, PII, or device-bound identifiers.The result is a living data layer on top of the city, enabling:
CountMatters sensors offer high accuracy and statistical demographic projections.
Pricing varies by scale and sensor mix. Our team tailors solutions based on goals and footprint.
Yes — mixed-method deployment is recommended for coverage and depth.
No — devices are compact and installed with minimal interruption.
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.
Sources: Aalborg City planning department statements; Danish municipal population data (2023)