ShopperTrak: September 2013

Shopper activity decreased this September, in line with ShopperTrak’s predictions. Total retail store shopper traffic for the month decreased 20.2% compared to August. In a year-over-year comparison, shopper traffic for September 2013 decreased 6.9% compared to the same month last year.

Back-to-school shopping activity that peaked in August slowed as school came back in session. The early Labor Day (Sept. 2) compounded the reduction in September’s shopper activity by combining two normally distinct shopping opportunities into just one.

Shopper traffic historically drops to seasonal lows in the weeks after Labor Day. While many stores host sales on remaining summer merchandise, the arrival of cool weather tends to determine when they see the next surge in retail traffic. This year’s normal to above-average temperatures in much of the country caused consumers to postpone shopping for fall clothing and other items.

“As expected, the end of back-to-school season and the post-Labor Day lull caused shopper activity to decrease significantly this past month,” said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak founder. “However, we anticipate cooler weather will cause consumers to think about their fall wardrobes and to return to the stores to make updates. Additionally, with Halloween in sight and early holiday promotions beginning, we expect shopper traffic to increase in October — assuming the government shutdown and debt ceiling issues are resolved in a timely manner.”

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.