The Data Behind the Deal: How Leading Retailers Are Rethinking Site Selection
Historically, retail success has always hinged on location. However, as technology continues to evolve and the marketplace becomes more competitive than ever, being in the right place means more than proximity to a high-traffic corridor.
Traditional tools, like static radius maps and traffic counts, are no longer sufficient for predicting performance. Instead, leading retailers are turning to real-time mobility data to optimize site selection with precision.
In the sections that follow, I explore how mobility data reveals the hidden dynamics of customer behavior, advances site selection strategies, and empowers retailers to make smarter, more profitable decisions.
Visibility Doesn’t Always Mean Profitability
Retailers have long relied on metrics such as drive time, population density, and traffic data to decide where to open new locations. However, these one-size-fits-all approaches often miss important context. While thousands of cars might pass a shopping center each day, if most of those drivers are commuting home and never turn into the parking lot, what’s the value in having a presence in that area?
High traffic doesn’t directly translate to sales success. What matters more is knowing when, where, and why people are likely to stop, engage, and return. That’s where mobility data changes the game.
Customer Movement Patterns Tell the Real Story
The rise of mobility data gives retailers an opportunity to observe and understand customer movement patterns with the same level of detail that e-commerce retailers use to track how customers engage with an online store.
For example, using origin-destination data, retailers can go beyond traffic volume to see where customers are coming from, how much time they spend at a location, and what other destinations they’re visiting along the way. This data can reveal whether a location aligns with the retailer’s target demographic, highlight clusters of people who don’t stop, and identify whether the store draws consistent foot traffic outside of typical retail hours.
From Prediction to Precision
The power of real-time traffic and mobility data lies in its predictive capabilities. With access to both historical and live data, retailers can predict performance well before signing a lease and make a more informed decision as they open new locations in different areas.
This modeling includes comparing potential sites to top-performing locations by analyzing traffic flow and how long people typically stay at a given location. Retailers can also simulate different scenarios, such as how weekday traffic differs from weekend activity or how road construction might impact the flow of travel.
In addition, retailers can leverage mobility data to test assumptions using real-world context, factoring in the influence of nearby businesses or the evolution of pedestrian walkways over time. With this data, retailers can forecast store performance with confidence.
Closing the Gap Between Real Estate and Strategy
As mobility data becomes central to performance prediction, it’s also reshaping how retailers and their partners approach location decisions. Commercial real estate firms are increasingly using mobility analytics in their processes, moving beyond site maps to offer strategic insight for their retail customers.
This shift is strengthening the connection between retail strategy and real estate execution. Grounding decisions in shared data helps brands and realtors collaborate more effectively, align around long-term goals, and reduce the risks that come with opening a new location.
The Future of Smarter Site Selection
Retail’s next chapter isn’t being written in static maps or outdated assumptions. Instead, it’s being shaped by movement, momentum and mobility. Shifting focus from where customers could be to where they actually are allows retailers to build more resilient, profitable footprints. In an era when data is readily available, but insight is rare, mobility intelligence provides a strategic advantage that’s too valuable to ignore.
Michael Cottle is senior vice president, enterprise at INRIX, a transportation analytics solutions provider.
Michael Cottle is the senior vice president for INRIX Enterprise. For more than 25 years, Michael has built successful software businesses, working with OEMs and Tier One partners around the world. He has expertise in alternative data markets such as financial services and retail site selection, and is passionate about helping customers realize their vision for creating innovative navigation driver safety solutions. Prior to INRIX, Michael held executive-level positions at companies such as Mapbox, deCarta (acquired by Uber), Apple, and Telenav. He also led the development of deCarta’s navigation solution, which today forms the basis of Uber’s driver navigation app.
