Shopify also filed the patent application with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office. The sensors' measurements could include the number of people that enter a part of the store in a given amount of time, the average amount of time they spend in that part of the store, or the number of shoppers who interact with physical products over a specific period. 'Advantageously, traffic density can provide a quantitative, accurate and unbiased metric with which to determine a value associated with displaying products in a region.' 'From the perspective of a merchant that is interested in purchasing (or leasing) display space in a retail store, not all regions of the retail store are equally desirable,' the patent application reads. But, as the patent application notes, not all locations in a store get the same level of attention from customers. In many brick-and-mortar locations like grocery stores or convenience stores, manufacturers pay 'slotting fees' or 'slotting allowances' to display their products in a store. The idea is that measuring traffic density could help a store owner determine what it is worth to display products on particular shelves or in specific areas of the store. The patent application, filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on May 25, 2020, and published November 25, 2021, describes a system of sensors that could measure the density and behavior of shoppers in specific areas of a retail store. Shopify filed a patent that reflects its growing interest in in-person retail as its rivalry with Amazon heats up.

Amazon's Go stores similarly rely on sensors to power their checkout tech.The application reflects a growing interest in physical retail.Shopify filed a patent application for a system of sensors that can measure traffic in retail store.

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