Sensormatic Solutions released its initial shopper visit data for U.S. brick-and-mortar stores and shopping centers for Black Friday, November 24, noting that foot traffic increased 4.6 percent compared to 2022. The results represent a positive deviation from overall year-over-year performance, as traffic has been down 2.4 percent on average throughout 2023 year-to-date.
“This is an excellent result for retailers,” said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, the retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, “Though we anticipated an increase, in-store shopper traffic outperformed our expectations. Consumers are again finding joy in brick-and-mortar shopping, seeing it as an experience to be shared with loved ones. It’s a testament to the hard work retailers have done to streamline journeys and deliver satisfying experiences.”
In further detail, Sensormatic Solutions data showed that shoppers visited stores primarily in the early afternoon (2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.) on Black Friday this year.
“Our main takeaway from these results is their strength compared to previous years,” Gustafson continued. “This is the most significant Black Friday increase we’ve seen in recent memory. It’s great news for retailers and consumers as we head into the remaining days of the holiday season.”
Looking Ahead
With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, Sensormatic Solutions predicted that the busiest days—[nine] still to come—will be more concentrated toward the end of 2023 than usual.
The Top 10 busiest days of 2023’s holiday season will likely account for 40 percent of all holiday traffic. Though Sensormatic Solutions anticipates Black Friday will be the busiest shopping day of the year, retailers still have opportunities to capture sales.
“After falling to third place on our list in 2022, Super Saturday—which is the day before Christmas Eve this year—is again the second-busiest day for retailers in 2023 and is expected to be the final rush of the 2023 holiday season,” Gustafson continued. “However, it’s important that retailers remember that our data is designed to apply broadly to the American retail industry as a whole. Retailers should also look at their own data from their traffic solutions in 2017—the last time Christmas fell on a Monday—for a more granular view of their store when building and tailoring promotional and operational plans this December. These deeper levels of insights will help them see how things played out for them the last time Christmas fell on a Monday.”
