The Business Need

A leading UK-based real estate company partnered with us to enhance their mobility analytics across European markets. They needed high-precision polygons for shopping centers, retail parks, outlet centers, and high streets. They aimed to leverage precise polygon data to understand foot traffic and consumer behavior in urban shopping areas. 

Challenges

• Capturing polygons without roads while including pavement areas and storefronts required meticulous mapping using street-level data for high streets.
• Ensuring accuracy for over 1,700 polygons in the pilot phase meant revisiting polygon boundaries to exclude non-relevant buildings like industrial facilities and car washes.
• Some locations lacked sufficient street view access, requiring estimation based on available imagery and customer feedback.
• Expanding the scope to multiple markets and handling diverse location types within crucial deadlines.

Solutions

Xtract.io implemented a structured and highly adaptive process to address specific requirements. To overcome the challenges, we have come up with two different solutions.

Precise retail polygons in the UK

For developing building polygons for retail parks across the UK, our team worked closely with the client to understand the criteria of geospatial data for relevant buildings within retail parks (retail, leisure, food & beverage spaces) and exclusions (petrol stations, residential and industrial buildings). 

With that information, we used advanced GIS tools to extract base map data for 501 retail parks. To validate the buildings, we cross-referenced the attributes with publicly available maps. We then shared the initial samples with the client for review, confirming that the extracted data meets their expectations. 

Based on the feedback, we removed irrelevant polygons and refined boundaries using more granular street-level data. We then automated quality checks to ensure adherence to the client’s specifications, followed by manual audits to verify polygon accuracy. Finally, we delivered 1717 building polygons across 501 retail parks within the UK, adhering to the client’s criteria.

High-street polygons for European markets

To expand the scope to high street polygons in Germany and other European markets, our team followed a customized methodology for high streets like Lange Straße and Luisenstraße in Baden, Germany.  Based on the client’s instructions, we included pedestrianized streets and pavement areas, excluding general traffic roads. 

When street-level imagery was unavailable, we used a combination of satellite imagery, GPS signals, land use data, and client feedback to estimate polygon boundaries. For pedestrianized areas with limited visibility, polygons were drawn for entire streets as per the client’s confirmation.

Ultimately, we delivered polygons for 64 high streets and 23 shopping centers across Germany and other European regions. We used GIS automation tools for faster delivery while maintaining manual validation for accuracy.

Results

High-precision data delivered

We successfully provided 1717 accurately mapped building polygons across 501 retail parks in the UK and polygons for 64 high streets and 23 shopping centers in Germany and other European regions.

Streamlined processes

We developed an efficient workflow that created up to 1000 polygons weekly, ensuring scalability without sacrificing quality or accuracy.

Improved operational efficiency

The precision of the delivered polygons allowed the client to enhance their mobility analytics, leading to more informed decisions regarding foot traffic analysis and consumer behavior insights. 

Scalable solution for future expansion

We established a robust, scalable process that positions the client to expand further into new European markets while maintaining high standards for geospatial data quality.