RetailNext Tips Off Shoppers with Busiest and Least Busy Days of the Holiday Shopping Season

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RetailNext Inc., the worldwide market leader in IoT retail smart store analytics for optimizing shopper experiences at brick-and-mortar retail stores, today announced its forecast for the busiest and least busy shopping days for the upcoming 2016 holiday season. The busiest day for shopper visits and store traffic is expected to be Saturday, December 17. For shoppers who look to avoid crowds, Tuesday, November 29 will afford the widest berths in malls and stores.

"This year's calendar, combined with the growing influence of mobile and online shopping and the retail industry's seemingly endless stream of promotions, has conspired to dramatically change how and when consumers will shop the holidays, particularly over Thanksgiving and Black Friday," said Shelley E. Kohan, vice president of retail consulting at RetailNext. "There's something for every kind of shopping desire, and a look at store traffic trends not only allows stores to plan and prepare, but enables shoppers to pick the type of shopping experience they most enjoy, be it the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping crowds or the relative ease and convenience of less busy days and times."

"Hanukkah starts relatively late this year, and will push much of the holiday shopping into the later part of the season," said Lauren Bitar, RetailNext's senior manager, retail consulting. "For those shoppers who prefer to shy away from crowds, early in the season is best, particularly the week after Thanksgiving, and the absolute slowest time for shopping will be those mid-afternoon hours following lunch hour. On the other hand, for those shoppers who get a good part of their holiday cheer from busy holiday shopping, early evening weekday hours late in the season and all day on Saturdays and Sundays will likely see the heaviest crowds at brick-and-mortar stores, and mid- to late-afternoon on December 17 will be the absolute peak of the season."

Top 5 Busiest Shopping Days (Shopper Visits)

1. Super Saturday, December 17
2. Black Friday, November 25
3. Friday, December 23
4. Saturday, December 10
5. Monday, December 26

Top 5 Least Busy Shopping Days (Shopper Visits)

1. Tuesday, November 29
2. Monday, November 28 (Cyber Monday)
3. Wednesday, November 30
4. Thursday, December 1
5. Monday, December 5

Earlier, RetailNext issued a positive forecast for U.S. retail performance over the November through December Holiday period, predicting a 3.2 percent year-over-year (YoY) lift in sales, driven in part by a 14.9 percent increase in YoY sales through digital channels.

"As expected, there was a dramatic slowdown across most retail segments in the final week leading up to the U.S. Presidential election," continued Kohan, "but the angst over Election 2016 is expected to subside by Thanksgiving. Compared to last year, there are two additional shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and when coupled with generally positive economic indicators, the retail industry has an opportunity to close the year strongly."

About RetailNext
The first retail vertical IoT platform to bring smart store e-commerce-style shopper analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, brands and malls, RetailNext is a pioneer in focusing entirely on optimizing the shopper experience. Through its centralized SaaS platform, RetailNext automatically collects and analyzes shopper behavior data, providing retailers with insight to improve the shopper experience real time.

More than 300 retailers in over 60 countries have adopted RetailNext's analytics software and retail expertise to better understand the shopper journey in order to increase same-store sales, reduce theft and eliminate unnecessary costs. RetailNext is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. Learn more at www.retailnext.net.

RetailNext Inc. and RetailNext are trademarks of RetailNext Inc. in the United States.

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SOURCE RetailNext

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