Sensormatic Solutions released preliminary shopper visit data for US brick-and-mortar retail stores and shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Findings indicate that shopper visits resulted in a 52.1% decline in traffic on Black Friday, November 27, compared to 2019. Shopper traffic also decreased 45.2% week-to-date (Sunday, November 22 – Friday, November 27) compared to the same period last year.
“Due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements, shoppers were more purposeful in their in-person Black Friday shopping, causing significantly less crowds than we’ve seen in the past,” said Brian Field, senior director of global retail consulting for Sensormatic Solutions. “This was compounded by retailers not offering as many in-store doorbusters and the increasing adoption of e-commerce.”
While many retailers limited their Black Friday hours compared to non-pandemic years, the peak time for shopping remained the same, with the busiest influx of footfall at 2:00 p.m.
Traffic on Thanksgiving Day
Visits to physical stores on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, decreased by 94.9% compared to 2019.
“Although traffic on Thanksgiving Day has risen in recent years, we are not surprised to see the departure from this trend in 2020,” said Field. “Many well-known retailers elected to close on Thanksgiving this year to prevent crowds in stores and give their hard-working employees more time with their families. Additionally, with Black Friday deals being spread throughout the holiday season, the typical holiday traffic peaks are flattening, with more days sharing importance throughout the season.”
The Rest of the Holiday Season
“As we approach Super Saturday, December 19, and corresponding shipping deadlines, we expect to see some of the in-store traffic that didn’t materialize on Black Friday appear as consumers wrap up their holiday shopping and make last-minute purchases,” said Field.
Sensormatic Solutions expects the 10 busiest days in 2020 to account for 34.2% of all holiday traffic as compared to 46.5% in 2019.
To learn more on how Sensormatic Solutions is supporting the retail industry’s urgent COVID-19 needs this holiday season, click here. For more Sensormatic Solutions’ holiday insights, follow along on Twitter, using #SensormaticHolidays2020.
