CBRE says Black Friday weekend traffic was up at properties it manages 

Two-thirds of malls and large-format shopping centers managed by CBRE reported increased shopper on Black Friday weekend 2019 compared to last year.  

CBRE personnel based their measurements on a combination of vehicle counts, shopper counts, and firsthand assessments by center management, some of whom reported “significant” rises in shopper volume.

“Shoppers are using both online and brick-and-mortar channels through the full cycle of their purchase, including buying merchandise online and picking it up in the store and returning to the store items bought online, said Meghann Martindale, global head of retail research at CBRE.

Big traffic drivers included movie theaters, restaurants, and events and experiences such as Santa visits, tree-lighting ceremonies, and holiday markets featuring local merchants for Small Business Saturday.

Retailers that drew especially strong traffic included mobile-phone stores, beauty supply retailers, and national apparel retailers. 

“Many people still enjoy the tradition and social interaction of hunting for bargains with family and friends at stores on Black Friday, and that showed in the feedback we received from centers we manage,” Martindale said.

Of the centers surveyed, six were in the West, six in the Midwest and Central U.S., and two in the East.