Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, today released preliminary shopper visit data for U.S. brick-and-mortar retail stores and shopping centers on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Findings indicate shopper visits resulted in a 2.9% increase in traffic on Black Friday, November 25, compared to 2021. Visits to physical stores on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, increased by 19.7% year over year. These results are informed by retail traffic data analytics within the company’s intelligent operating platform, Sensormatic IQ.
Additionally, the analysis also looked at specific store formats. Enclosed mall traffic increased 1.2% and non-mall traffic (e.g., lifestyle centers, strip centers and standalone stores) increased 4.7% compared to Black Friday 2021.
“As we expected, Black Friday deals and the in-store experience attracted shoppers, resulting in a solid turnout this year,” said Brian Field, global leader of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions. “The pandemic-driven trend of shopping in unenclosed shopping centers has endured and malls are seeing resurgence as well. Our data shows consumers continue to enjoy the benefits of the brick-and-mortar shopping.”
Looking ahead
The 10 busiest U.S. shopping days in 2022 are likely to account for 40% of all holiday traffic. With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, Sensormatic Solutions expects holiday traffic to be distributed differently than in recent years. While this deviation is unlikely to affect overall volume, retailers may need to adjust their approach to account for an earlier Super Saturday than usual.
“The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was back in 2016,” Field continued. “That means historical data will be crucial to retailers as we head into December. Retailers with robust analytics in place will find themselves at an advantage throughout the rest of the holiday season. Examining what worked (or didn’t) will help them design promotions, staff their stores, and keep track of inventory in the final weeks of 2022.”
This challenge may be compounded by the uptick in customers planning to shop in person this year compared to 2020 and 2021. Sensormatic Solutions’ consumer sentiment survey found that over half (51%) of shoppers surveyed intend to do at least some of their shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. The same survey revealed that price, availability, and convenience would be top of mind for shoppers and that 52% of respondents planned to start shopping before November.
