Footfall boost continues into the Black Friday weekend, according to Sensormatic Solutions Shoppertrak Analytics

• After a +4.8 percent year-on-year boost to in-store traffic on Black Friday (29th Nov 2024), footfall on the Saturday of the Black Friday weekend (30th Nov 2024) rose +1.4 percent compared to 2023
• Shopper traffic on Saturday (30th Nov 2024) delivered a +30.8 percent week-on-week jump, with the High Street seeing the greatest footfall gains, rising to +39.9 percent compared to the week prior
• After a stellar performance over Friday and Saturday, store visits dipped on the Sunday of the Black Friday weekend (1st Dec 2024), down -1.2 percent year-on-year
• However, shopper traffic on Sunday was still +11 percent up compared to the week before, with Shopping Centres the best performing retail destination, up +14.6 percent week-on-week

Sensormatic Solutions, the global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, today shared its first look into in-store shopper traffic for the 2024 Black Friday weekend.

The brand’s ShopperTrak Analytics insights platform, which captures 40 billion store visits globally each year, indicates that after a +4.8 percent year-on-year rise in footfall on Black Friday (29th Nov 2024), store visits also rose +1.4 percent on the Saturday of the Black Friday weekend (30th Nov 2024) compared to the year before.

With the promise of deals helping to lure shoppers into store, shopper traffic on Saturday (30th Nov 2024) delivered a +30.8 percent week-on-week jump, with the High Street seeing the greatest footfall gains, rising to +39.9 percent compared to the week prior.

“Motivated by the prospect of widespread discounting, shoppers acted fast and decisively, heading into stores to pick-up bargains,” said Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic Solutions’ EMEA Retail Consultant. “The timing of Black Friday is likely to have helped boost footfall performance.  Taking place a week later than in 2023, Black Friday landed on or just after payday for many consumers this year. This, as well as the discounting event coinciding with the start of Advent, will have helped retailers gain early share of spend, as shoppers sought out Black Friday deals and picked up discounted Christmas gifts.”

After a stellar performance over Friday and Saturday, store visits dipped on the Sunday of the Black Friday weekend (1st Dec 2024), down -1.2 percent year-on-year, as the weather turned wetter and more wintery.  However, footfall on Sunday 1 Dec 2024 was still +11 percent percent up compared to the week before, with Shopping Centres the best performing retail destination, seeing shopper counts rise +14.6 percent week-on-week.

“After a shaky start to the Golden Quarter earlier in October and the start of November, retailers will have welcomed the boost to store traffic Black Friday delivered.  With several of busiest in-store shopping days still to come in December, many will be hoping this run of positive footfall performance continues as they look to capitalise on critical Christmas trade,” Sumpter added.

Once again, Super Saturday (21 Dec 2024) is predicted to be the busiest in-store shopping day for UK retailers, having also ranked top in 2023 when last-minute Christmas shoppers swarmed into store, prompting footfall to jump +35 percent year-on-year.

Photo credit: Kaboompics.com.