Report: U.S. Foot Traffic Falls 12.9% in January

Chicago ShopperTrak RCT Corp’s Retail Traffic Index reported that total U.S. foot traffic for the month of January fell 12.9%, while the company’s National Retail Sales Estimate reported that retail sales posted a 3.8% decline for the same period.

“While sales and traffic levels were both significantly down in January, the current economy, poor weather and the fact that January is typically a slow month for the industry most likely means retailers were prepared for the poor monthly showing,” said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak. “Looking ahead, we should see a slight increase around Valentine’s Day later this week, before both sales and traffic return to more seasonal levels until early April when Easter should provide a boost.”

ShopperTrak’s NRSE reported sales for the week ending Feb. 7 fell 2.9% as compared to last year, while weekly sales increased 3.2% vs. the previous seven-day period ending Jan. 31.