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Shoppermotion vs computer-vision cameras

Cameras analyse images of people in their field of view. Shoppermotion locates tagged trolleys and baskets and matches each anonymous trip with its receipt.

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Video analytics turns camera feeds into counts, dwell times and sometimes demographics or basic interactions at the shelf. It is accurate where the camera can see, but it works with images of people, so privacy requirements are high, and following a complete journey through narrow aisles means covering every corner of the store.

Shoppermotion takes a different route. Small Bluetooth tags on shopping tools are located by ceiling antennas with sub-metre accuracy, so every trip is recorded from the entrance to the till without cameras, apps or personal data. Read how that works in our data privacy article.

Our blog post on top technologies for in-store analytics compares both approaches in more depth. In short: cameras suit shelf images and specific areas, tags suit complete, anonymous paths linked to purchases.

Side by side

Criterion	Shoppermotion	Cameras
What is measured	Anonymous trips of trolleys and baskets	People and objects in the camera's view
Full path inside the store	Yes, entrance to till	Hard in aisles without full camera coverage
Link to the receipt	Each trip matched with its ticket	Not built in
Personal data	None: tags identify tools, not people	Images of people, high privacy requirements
Infrastructure	Ceiling anchors and tags, live within hours	Cameras, processing and maintenance
Shoppers covered	Those using a trolley or basket	Everyone in view, staff included
Shelf images	No	Yes
Typical use	Shopper insights, media measurement, attribution	Counting, security, shelf monitoring

Last reviewed: 2026-09. General comparison of technologies; results depend on each deployment.

Choose Shoppermotion if

You need the complete path of each trip, aisle by aisle, not just activity in selected spots.
You want every path matched with its receipt to measure conversion and attribute sales to in-store media.
You prefer a setup with no cameras and no personal data.
You run supermarkets or hypermarkets where most shoppers use a trolley or basket.

Consider the alternative if

You need images of the shelf, for example to detect out-of-stocks or check planogram compliance visually.
Many of your shoppers walk in without a trolley or basket, as in fashion or convenience stores.
You want to reuse an existing camera system for counting in specific areas.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Does Shoppermotion use cameras?

No. It locates Bluetooth tags fixed to trolleys and baskets with ceiling antennas. There are no cameras, no apps and no personal data.

Can cameras and Shoppermotion work together?

Yes. They measure different things: cameras see what is in their field of view, such as a shelf, while Shoppermotion records full anonymous paths and matches them with receipts.

Which shoppers does Shoppermotion not measure?

Shoppers who do not use a trolley or basket. That is why it fits best in stores where most shoppers carry a shopping tool, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Other comparisons

Shoppermotion vs people counters→People counters measure entries and exits at the door. Shoppermotion records what happens between the entrance and the till, and links it to the receipt.Shoppermotion vs Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tracking→Phone tracking locates shoppers' own devices when their Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is on. Shoppermotion locates tags on trolleys and baskets, with no personal devices involved.Shoppermotion vs receipt data alone→Receipt data tells you what was bought. Shoppermotion adds the path that led to it, and matches every anonymous trip with its ticket.

See your store the way your shoppers do.

Book a meeting with our retail analysts and see real trips, real tickets and real conversion.

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