Lead: The municipality of Grindsted is deploying a customer counter system and WiFi presence analytics to understand visitor flows, improve event programming, and measure outcomes in public spaces—securely and GDPR-compliantly.
Great places feel lively for everyone—kids on the playground, families at events, seniors on market days. But without trustworthy visitor data, it’s hard to prove what works, secure funding, or coordinate with local stakeholders. Manual counts are inconsistent; POS or ERPs don’t reveal who used the square or when peaks occurred. Grindsted wanted a consistent, transparent approach.
Grindsted combines two complementary data sources: WiFi presence (aggregated, anonymized device signals) to understand macro-flows across zones, and overhead people-counting sensors to measure accurate footfall, dwell, and occupancy at entrances and focal points. The blend is cost-efficient and scalable: WiFi shows movement patterns; sensors deliver ground-truth accuracy for KPIs.
Glossary — People-Counting Sensor: An overhead sensor that detects and counts visitors crossing a virtual line. It does not store images and is configured for privacy by design.CountMatters is GDPR-aware by design: the system aggregates and anonymizes data; no images are stored; retention is minimized and purpose-bound; and lawful basis is documented with clear governance. Municipalities can openly communicate what is measured, why, and for how long—building trust with citizens and partners.
Municipal use cases mirror successes we see across public spaces—theme parks improving live safety through occupancy monitoring, cultural venues optimizing staffing with footfall analytics, and property owners turning traffic data into action. See related stories from CountMatters:
Beyond event optimization, the dataset underpins capital planning (where to invest), grant reporting (what improved), and everyday services (cleaning, staffing, signage). For partners and sponsors, transparent metrics build confidence. Mentioning trusted technology partners—like Xovis for high-accuracy sensors—reassures stakeholders that quality and reliability are built-in.
Overhead people-counting sensors deliver very high accuracy at entrances and defined lines; WiFi presence complements this with broader flow patterns across zones.
No images are stored and data is aggregated and anonymized. The approach is privacy-by-design and GDPR-compliant.
Dashboards update continuously, so event uplift and occupancy trends can be reviewed the same day and compared week-over-week or year-over-year.
By blending WiFi presence with people-counting sensors, Grindsted makes public-space decisions visible and defensible. The city can show what worked, refine what didn’t, and keep improving experiences for residents and visitors—data-first, privacy-first.