Visitor Counting — is an additional Torgsoft option that collects data from a hardware counter at the store entrance and compares the number of visitors with the number of purchases. It helps calculate the conversion rate of a retail outlet: the ratio of those who entered to those who bought. It is needed when there are many or few receipts, but it is unclear why, because there is no data on the real flow of people.
The option is suitable for retail stores with live customer traffic, retail chains, and large-format stores. It solves a typical problem: the number of receipts does not show how many people entered, at what hours the peak occurred, and whether a promotion worked. Because of this, it is difficult to plan the sellers' schedule and assess the return on advertising.
As a result, you see conversion by hours, days, and days of the week, overlay promotion periods on the chart, and find peak load hours. This provides a basis for shifting staff schedules, keeping the required number of cash registers open during rush hours, and distinguishing the impact of marketing from the work of consultants on the shop floor. The license is annual, and the option is connected separately for each installed counter.
You see not only receipts, but also the real flow of people
The option counts visitors using a hardware counter and compares them with sales so that you can see the store conversion rate and peak load hours.
What visitor counting is
Visitor counting is the counting of people who entered and left the store and comparing this data with sales. The number of receipts shows only purchases, but does not explain the full picture: sometimes many people enter, but only a few buy, or vice versa. Having traffic data, you see the conversion rate — and understand what exactly affects sales: assortment, prices, advertising, or the work of sellers.
In Torgsoft, data is collected by a hardware counter near the entrance, sent to the GSM Counters portal, and automatically pulled into the program. Then you analyze it as charts alongside sales amounts and the number of receipts.
Basic concepts
Visitor counter
A sensor at the entrance (TK-01, TK-01 Wi-Fi, or TK-04 Wi-Fi) that records people entering and leaving.
GSM Counters
A third-party portal where counter data is sent and from which Torgsoft reads it.
API key
A key from the GSM Counters account that you enter in Torgsoft to connect devices.
Conversion
The ratio of the number of buyers to the number of visitors over a period.
Accounting center
A store or retail outlet in the program to which a specific counter is linked.
Sales intensity analysis
A Torgsoft mode where the visitor chart is overlaid on the sales chart.
Who this option is for
Clothing and footwear stores
Display and consultants' work strongly influence purchases. Conversion shows whether traffic turns into sales.
Retail chains
Comparing conversion between outlets shows where the problem is traffic and where it is staff performance.
Appliance and home goods stores
Expensive purchases with a long selection process: it is important to know how many people look at the product and how many buy.
Large format and shopping malls
Noticeable peaks by hours and days of the week, which determine shift schedules and the number of open cash registers.
Who does not need it. The option will not be useful without a hardware counter and customer traffic in the sales area. It is unnecessary for online stores, small wholesale, mobile trade, and outlets with occasional visitors: counting entries there will not change anything.
When to connect it immediately
- There are few receipts, but many people in the sales area, and the reason is unclear.
- You launch promotions or advertising and want to see whether customer traffic is growing.
- Queues form during peak hours, and you need to understand when to assign additional cashiers.
- The chain has outlets with different results, and you need to compare them by conversion.
What tasks the option solves
What it looks like before and after
Before
Only receipts and amounts are visible. How many people entered, when the peak occurred, and whether the promotion brought new customers — are unknown. You plan the shift schedule and the number of cash registers by intuition.
After
The flow of people is visible next to sales, conversion — by hours and days of the week, and the impact of promotions is also visible. You plan staff shifts and the number of open cash registers based on real data.
How it works: 5 steps
Install the counter. Mount a TK-01 or TK-04 Wi-Fi sensor near the entrance. For TK-04 Wi-Fi, the passage width between the sensors must not exceed 5 meters.
Register on the GSM Counters portal. Create an account, add an organization and devices, and receive an API key. A tariff with Web API access is required for data exchange.
Connect devices in Torgsoft. In the Marketing — Visitor Counting menu (the item is available after activating the option), click Create all available devices, enter the API key, and click Create — information from the counters will be pulled into the program.
Link the counter to the outlet. Using the Change button, set the display name and select the Accounting center. If necessary, the same counter can be relinked to another store in the chain.
Analyze the data. In Analysis — Sales Intensity Analysis, turn on the Display visitor entry switch. To evaluate promotions, add Display promotions (when grouping by days), and for clarity — 3D view.
Important. Data does not appear instantly. The application server is responsible for downloading it; it queries the portal every 30 minutes, while the minimum grouping interval on the portal itself is 1 hour. Therefore, information about entries and exits is displayed in the program no earlier than one hour after it appears on the portal.
Try it in your store
Connect the option and see the real conversion rate of your outlet. The demo version is free for 30 days. Counter data is loaded into the Torgsoft database through the GSM Counters portal, and after purchasing the option, previous settings are saved.
Option capabilities
Scenarios by niche
Clothing store
The owner sees that twice as many people enter on Saturday as on weekdays, but conversion is lower. The reason — there is only one seller in the sales area during the influx. The shift schedule is moved to weekends, and conversion levels out.
Appliance chain
The manager compares outlet conversion rates. One outlet has high traffic but few purchases. They check display and consultants' work, and move popular models closer to the entrance.
Grocery store
Before and after the promotion, the owner looks at the traffic chart with the Display promotions switch and sees whether the discount increased visitors or only reduced the average receipt.
Example
The scenario is illustrative. A children's clothing store installed a TK-04 Wi-Fi counter and connected the option. In Sales Intensity Analysis mode, it turned out that the visitor peak occurs after 17:00, when only one consultant remained in the sales area.
The shift schedule was adjusted so that two sellers worked in the evening hours. In the next period, the share of buyers among visitors during these hours increased, and the number of people leaving without a purchase decreased. The decision was based on traffic data, not guesswork.
Which options and equipment it works with
The option is available in Torgsoft Ultra and Torgsoft Terminal licenses. To collect data, a hardware counter and an account on the GSM Counters portal with a tariff that provides Web API access are required.
- TK-01 — wired, requires cable installation and mains power.
- TK-01 Wi-Fi — works via Wi-Fi, but is powered only from the mains (without a battery).
- TK-04 Wi-Fi — wireless, battery-powered. Records visitors even without electricity, and if connection is lost, stores data in internal memory for up to 6 months and sends it after connection is restored.
Comprehensive automation. Visitor data becomes more informative together with full sales accounting in Torgsoft: when you see the flow of people, receipts, sales amounts, and promotions in one program, conversion can be analyzed for each outlet and period without transferring numbers manually.
Price and connection terms
- Licenses. The option works in Torgsoft Ultra and Torgsoft Terminal.
- Connection. Payment is annual. A separate option is connected for each installed counter; each counter is linked to its own accounting center.
- Compatibility. Available from Torgsoft® version 2018.4.0 (DB 482) and newer.
- Demo version. Free for 30 days. If you have already activated this option for free before, reactivation for 30 days is not available.
How to connect
- Select and install a counter, register on the GSM Counters portal, and get an API key.
- In Torgsoft, open Settings — List of additional functions, activate the Visitor Counting option or the 30-day demo version, and restart the program. To make the application server start receiving data from the portal, restart the TorgSoftService service.
- In the Marketing — Visitor Counting menu, add devices using the API key and link each counter to its own accounting center.
Frequently asked questions about visitor counting
Will the counter count people if the store loses electricity or internet?
Yes. Models such as TK-04 Wi-Fi are battery-powered, so they record visitors even without electricity. If the connection to the server is lost, the sensor stores data in internal memory for up to 6 months and sends it after the connection is restored.
Why does visitor data not appear in Torgsoft immediately?
The application server is responsible for downloading it; it queries the GSM Counters portal every 30 minutes. The minimum grouping interval on the portal itself is 1 hour. Therefore, data is displayed in the program no earlier than one hour after it appears on the portal.
Is it enough to buy only the physical counter?
No. In addition to the sensor, working with Torgsoft requires the additional Visitor Counting option (purchased separately for each counter) and an account on the GSM Counters portal with a tariff that provides Web API access.
Where can I view visitor statistics in the program?
Raw data on entries and exits — in the Marketing — Visitor Counting menu. To analyze it together with sales, go to Analysis — Sales Intensity Analysis and enable the Display visitor entry switch.
How can I understand whether a promotion worked?
In Sales Intensity Analysis mode, when grouping by days, enable the Display promotions switch. The chart will show customer traffic before the start of the promotion, during it, and after it ends.
If I move the counter to another store, do I need to buy the option again?
No. Each counter has a unique identifier. In the Marketing — Visitor Counting menu, using the Change button, you relink the same sensor to another accounting center.
Which licenses does the option work with?
Visitor Counting is available in Torgsoft Ultra and Torgsoft Terminal licenses. The option is not available in Torgsoft Start.
How many counters can be connected?
The number of counters is not limited by the program, but a separate option is required for each installed counter. Each counter is linked to its own accounting center.
What passage width is the sensor designed for?
For correct detection (for example, with the TK-04 Wi-Fi model), the passage width between two installed sensors must not exceed 5 meters.
Can I test the option first?
Yes. In Settings — List of additional functions, select Visitor Counting and click Activate for 30 days. After purchase, all previous settings are saved.
Go back to the previous step