ShopperTrak: Retail traffic down last week, busiest days lie ahead |
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Written by Jeremy Burns |
Thursday, 19 December 2013 12:48 PM America/New_York |
Saturday, Dec. 14 saw a decline in both retail sales and shopper traffic, largely a result of a weekend snowstorm that hit the Midwest and Northeast. Compared to the same day last year, brick-and-mortar retail sales fell 5.4% while in-store shopper traffic fell 25.9%. “Last weekend’s extreme weather prevented many consumers from completing their holiday shopping,” said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak founder. “But those items remain on their shopping lists and we expect these individuals will add to the high levels of in-store shopper activity we usually see the weekend before Christmas.” ShopperTrak expects that several of the days leading up to Christmas, including “Super Saturday” (Dec. 21), will be among the busiest shopping days of the holiday season. “Only one weekend remains before Christmas for
shoppers to check everything off their holiday lists,” said Martin. “Shoppers
will plan and focus their store visits on getting items they want at the best
values. It will be critical for retailers to provide the best experience for
shoppers motivated to complete their holiday shopping—by adequately staffing
for the surge in traffic and ensuring merchandise is stocked and easily
accessible.” |