- Weekend footfall rose +15.4% week-on-week (14 & 15 Dec vs 07 & 08 Dec) after Storm Darragh disruption put paid to Christmas shopping trips last weekend
- Saturday (14 Dec) saw the biggest increase in shopper counts, rising +23.3% on the week prior
- Saturday (14 Dec) was expected to have been the 3rd busiest in-store shopping day of Peak Trading
- However, two of the busiest footfall days – Super Saturday (21 Dec) and Manic Monday (23 Dec) – are still to come
Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, shared data from its analytics platform for the weekend of 14 & 15 December 2024.
The brand’s ShopperTrak Analytics insights platform, which captures 40 billion store visits globally each year, revealed that footfall this weekend (14 & 15 Dec 2024) increased +15.4% compared to the weekend prior (07 & 08 Dec 2024). High Streets were the best performing retail destination, jumping +25.8% versus the weekend before, prompted by shoppers putting off Christmas shopping last weekend due to disruption from Storm Darragh.
Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic Solutions’ EMEA Retail Consultant, commented: “This weekend delivered the perfect storm for retail footfall, with the combination of shoppers who’d stayed home during Storm Darragh disruption last week and consumers wanting to get ahead of the festive rush expected this coming weekend, prompting a significant surge in bricks-and-mortar shopping. We’ve also seen some retailers start to bring forward discounts that would have traditionally been reserved for Boxing Day, which may have also added to the in-store scramble as shoppers looked to pick up bargains to make their festive spend go further.”
Saturday (14 Dec), which was tipped to have been the 3rd busiest in-store shopping day of peak trading 2024, saw the biggest jump in shopper traffic, with total footfall rising +23.3% week-on-week. Sunday, although more modest, also saw a weekly boost for shopper counts, up +5.2%, with the High Street seeing the greatest increase, up +13.9% compared to the Sunday before.
“While this weekend delivered a welcome boost to footfall performance, some of the busiest and most important days for pre-Christmas trading are yet to come. Retailers will have their eyes firmly on prize of Super Saturday, tipped to be the busiest in-store festive shopping day of 2024, this coming weekend, as they look to drive ambient, seasonal footfall and sales in-store,” 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% year-on-year. Being dubbed ‘Manic Monday’ (Monday 23 Dec 2024), the last full shopping day before Christmas, is also expected to be the second busiest footfall day for physical retailers as consumers finalise festive gifting and last-minute purchases.
