If you're like most retailers, this is probably a familiar scenario: The quarter’s closed, you’ve crunched the numbers, but you’re still not where you want to be. It’s time to get serious about improving store performance — but where do you begin?

There are tons of variables you could tweak to maximise efficiency, but picking the right one to target first will turn things around a lot faster.

That’s why starting with foot traffic is essential.

You can’t sell to someone who isn’t there, so your store’s foot traffic represents the ceiling of all possible selling opportunities. Understanding the foundational relationship between foot traffic and store performance will help you make the staffing, sales and strategy decisions you need to convert more of those "possible" sales into certified, cash-in-the-bank closes.

Sensormatic Solutions’ traffic calculators are free, easy-to-use online tools that illustrate just that. With functionality that allows you to alter variables like foot traffic, shopper-to-associate ratio (STAR) and more, you'll be able to instantly see how changing each can equal big changes to your bottom line.

Here’s how they work.

Should you focus on improving your conversion rate or would drawing new customers to your store have a greater impact on sales?

Ideally, you’ll want to do both (and more) to maximise revenue, but you can run both scenarios through the Sensormatic Solutions Traffic Assessment Estimator to figure out which might give you a more impactful return on your investment.

Take the figures in the calculator example above. (You can test the settings yourself here).

Increasing the conversion rate by just one percent increases sales on the Impact column by almost £2,000. Grow your foot traffic by 500 on top of that, and see sales skyrocket over £100,000.

Not bad!

Once you've got a good read on traffic, go deeper with the Sensormatic Solutions Operational Impact Calculator.

With new inputs that let you adjust STAR, sales per shopper (SPS), labour hours and more, you'll get a more detailed look at the different ways changing each one might impact your store's performance and labour expenses.

In addition to expanded revenue and labour figures, the Operational Impact Calculator also displays how each change along the way could impact costs related to rent and utilities, advertising and promotion, total operating expenses and more. After accounting for all these factors, you'll get a final net income dollar amount and percentage to help you compare.

Fittingly, STAR is the real star here.

When you optimise STAR, generally, you can expect customer experience and conversation rates to improve. That then leads to increased Sales Per Shopper and improved profitability. /p>

Consult the the calculator (partially seen in the example above) to test out whether this tried-and-true formula can equal the right solution for your store.

Adjust numbers in the STAR field by half a point, while improving your SPS at the same time. The calculator will show you a new net income figure based on the changes you make. To determine whether you're coming out on top, simply compare the change in net income to the original. If it's higher, than your proposed changes look poised to make a positive impact on store performance.

Ready to calculate the many gains your store stands to make? Check out this new video series for more detailed instructions on how to use and get the most out of each calculator.

With a little practice and the right approach, you'll be testing traffic theories, comparing strategies and finding the winning formula for your business in no time.