ShopperTrak: October 2013

Shopper activity increased this October, in line with ShopperTrak expectations. Total retail store shopper traffic increased 2.4% compared to September 2013. Consumers who were off work for the Columbus Day holiday (Monday, Oct. 14) took advantage of store promotions to update their cold-weather wardrobes. Many others hit the stores to gather costumes, candies and other necessities for Halloween (Thursday, Oct. 31).



The 16-day federal government shutdown during the first half of the month cast a shadow that ultimately led to a year-over-year decline in traffic. Shopper traffic for October 2013 decreased 12.5% compared to the same month last year.



Mobile-savvy customers are increasingly researching products online and deciding ahead of time which store offers the best value rather than browsing from store to store. Thus, retailers can expect a continued decrease in store shopper traffic during this year’s holiday season compared to 2012.



“Consumers today may visit fewer stores per shopping trip, but they come to stores ready to buy,” said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak founder. “Retailers that focus on the customer experience will be most successful this holiday season. We expect retail sales and store shopper traffic to experience a major boost in November compared to October with Black Friday — the busiest shopping day of the year.”

ShopperTrak's data and analyses in this article are based on counting billions of shoppers in more than 60,000 locations across 90 countries. ShopperTrak counts more retail foot traffic than any other company in the world. The retail technology company collects and analyzes anonymous foot traffic, queue times and shopper demographics to identify revenue opportunities. Find out more at http://www.shoppertrak.com.