Scanalytics, based in the US city of Milwaukee, has developed paper-thin tiles, similar to a touch-screen, called a Sole-Sensor to track shoppers.

The 2-foot by 2-foot Sole=Sensor panels are only 1/32 of an inch thick and can be snapped together and hid underneath a flexible floor covering to seamlessly measure insights on your location’s performance.

For example, the sensors can read a customer’s unique foot compressions to track that person’s path to a digital display and how long the person stands in front of it before walking away.

Not only can a shop find out which displays draw the most customer attention, but they can use the data generated by the sensors to study what sells, know when to schedule staff for busy times, and what store layout is most effective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kaft6YHahk

Based on data collected over time, the floor sensors can also tell a retailer the best time to offer a coupon or change the display before the customer loses interest.

And software applications can give businesses information including real-time and historical reports covering entrances and exits, heat maps, customer engagement and more.

The cost of having the sensors ranges from $20 to $1,000 per month, (£15 – £730) depending on square footage and add-on applications to analyse data or interact with digital signs.