Sensormatic Solutions shared its first look into in-store shopper traffic for the 2024 holiday season, indicating that the brand’s ShopperTrak Analytics insights show that U.S. shopper visits were down 3.9 percent from November 24 through November 29, in line with the in-store traffic trends seen year-to-date (down 3.0 percent year-over-year).
Preliminary analysis showed shopper traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2 percent compared to 2023. On Black Friday, Sensormatic Solutions data showed that early afternoon is still the most popular time for in-store browsing. As in 2023, shopper traffic peaked between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“Retailers are changing their approach to meet shopper expectations, extending their deals and promotions beyond Black Friday itself to support a more convenient shopping experience. This led to a softer day-of turnout than expected as shoppers were able to spread out their purchases and spend time with their families,” said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics, Sensormatic Solutions. “The industry’s evolution over the past few years is a testament to the hard work that retail leaders have done to meet consumers where and when they want to shop. They’ve embraced technology, improved their operations, and delivered exceptional experiences which has allowed them to better serve in-store shoppers throughout the entire holiday season.”
What’s to Come
Though Black Friday is predicted to, again, be the busiest day for retailers in the U.S. this winter, the holiday shopping season has only just begun in earnest, the company said in a media release.
“This year, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is nearly a week shorter than it was last year. As such, retailers can expect a condensed holiday rush and a strong showing for brick-and-mortar throughout December,” the company said.
“There is a lot of the holiday season left,” said Gustafson. “Today, Saturday, November 30th stands as the sixth predicted busiest shopping day of the season. Following this weekend, eight of our top ten predicted shopping days remain. To support a shortened period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, retailers will need to make sure they’ve factored the potential for higher-than-average peak periods into their labor, logistics and merchandising plans.”
