What is cross-visitation data?

Cross-visitation data reveals where customers shop before and after visiting a store, helping retailers make smarter decisions about locations, partnerships, and marketing. For example, in Q3 2022, 9.3% of CVS shoppers also visited a nearby FedEx Office.

Key Benefits of cross-visitation data:

• Understand competitors: Track customer overlap with other businesses.
• Enhance customer experience: Tailor store layouts and services to match shopping patterns.
• Spot growth opportunities: Identify potential partnerships or new store locations.

Retailers utilize tools such as geospatial platforms and GIS to analyze customer movement, while addressing concerns about privacy and accuracy. This data helps refine operations, enhance marketing, and predict trends using AI.

Cross-visitation analytics is transforming retail by offering actionable insights into customer behavior. Ready to learn how it works? Let’s dive in.

Uses of cross-visitation data in retail

Cross-visitation data offers retailers key insights into competition and market positioning. By tracking customer movement, businesses can pinpoint their actual competitors and gain a clearer picture of market share.

For example, analyzing customer overlap with nearby businesses reveals whether these businesses are competitors or complementary to their offerings. This insight helps retailers better understand their role in the local market landscape.

In addition to competitive analysis, these patterns provide actionable insights to fine-tune operations and improve customer satisfaction.

Enhancing the customer journey

By studying customer behavior, retailers can make smarter decisions about store layouts, operating hours, and services. Aligning these elements with customer flow patterns creates smoother, more enjoyable shopping experiences.

These adjustments not only make customers happier but also highlight areas for expansion and collaboration that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Spotting growth and partnership opportunities

Cross-visitation data also reveals opportunities for growth and collaboration. Tracking where customers shop before and after visiting a store allows businesses to make informed decisions about new locations or partnerships.

For instance, if data shows many customers frequent gyms near a store, the retailer might consider fitness-related partnerships or opening a location nearby.

Our geospatial solutions provide detailed insights into travel patterns and cross-visitation trends, helping retailers identify promising areas for expansion and strategic partnerships.

Methods for analyzing cross-visitation data

Using geospatial data platforms

As a location data provider, we offer datasets that can be used for actionable insights. This data is particularly helpful for retail decision-making, offering features such as:

By leveraging these features, businesses can conduct competitive analysis, map customer journeys, and spot growth opportunities.

GIS tools for mapping and analysis

GIS tools are another key resource for retailers. They allow businesses to map and analyze customer movement patterns with precision. These tools enhance understanding of co-location opportunities and help businesses see how they fit into the local retail landscape. When paired with geospatial platforms, GIS tools provide even deeper spatial insights.

How cross-visitation data helps retailers

Smarter business decisions

Cross-visitation data provides insights into customer behavior, helping retailers make informed choices. It shows where customers shop before and after visiting a store, shaping decisions around inventory, location, and operations.

For example, grocery stores often share customers with nearby coffee shops, suggesting potential co-location opportunities. These insights can also drive precise marketing strategies.

Sharper marketing and promotions

By analyzing cross-visitation patterns, retailers can fine-tune their promotional efforts. Knowing where customers go helps them:

• Create promotions tailored to shopping habits
• Collaborate with businesses that share customer traffic
• Leverage geospatial data for location-specific campaigns

Trends in cross-visitation analytics

Integrating data into retail operations

Cross-visitation analytics has progressed from simple reporting to becoming a critical component of daily retail operations. Real-time data integration allows retailers to respond quickly to shifts in customer behavior and market trends.

Retail systems now use cross-visitation insights to enhance operations such as:

• Inventory management: Predicting customer movement between locations to fine-tune stock levels.
• Targeted marketing: Launching promotions tailored to emerging cross-visitation trends.

However, for these systems to work effectively, businesses must address several challenges:

• Ensuring privacy through anonymized data collection.
• Using standardized APIs and formats for seamless system integration.
• Improving location tracking to maintain data accuracy.

As these analytics tools evolve, retailers are increasingly using them to refine strategies and improve customer experiences.

Conclusion and final thoughts

Cross-visitation analytics has become a game-changer for retail strategies, offering actionable insights into customer behavior. Here's a snapshot of how it impacts various areas of business:

Why retailers should embrace cross-visitation data

To make the most of cross-visitation analytics, retailers need to focus on a few critical elements:

• Data accuracy: Always work with reliable data sources.
• Privacy safeguards: Ensure customer data is anonymized and handled responsibly.
• System integration: Align insights with your existing tools and workflows.

Integrating this gives you an edge. With the right analytics, retailers can stay ahead of competitors, deliver better experiences to customers, and make smarter decisions for growth.

FAQs: Cross-shopping behavior with location data

Here’s a closer look at some common questions about cross-visitation analytics and how it helps retailers make smarter decisions.

What is cross-shop analysis?

Cross-shop analysis examines how customers compare retailers, brands, or products while deciding what to buy. It’s different from cross-visitation analysis, which focuses more on customer movement patterns.

For example, cross-shop analysis might show that customers often compare pharmacy chains before making a purchase.

How does cross-visitation data improve business decisions?

Cross-visitation data helps retailers understand customer behavior in a broader context. It can be used to:

• Map customer journeys: See where customers go before and after visiting your store.
• Analyze competitors: Find out which competitor locations your customers are also visiting.
• Spot partnership opportunities: Identify businesses that complement your offerings for potential collaborations.