Study: April sales fall despite traffic boost
San Francisco – Retail sales in several top retail verticals fell despite increased shopper traffic in April 2015. According to a report from Wi-Fi location analytics provider Euclid, early Easter did not cause a drop-off in visits to the store, but consumer caution around spending tax refunds prevented a commensurate sales boost.
Euclid estimates sales growth in the following retail verticals of:
• 1.1% decline year-over-year in general merchandise, apparel, furniture and other (GAFO) retail sales.
• 2.1% decline year-over-year in clothing and apparel sales.
• 1.6% decline year-over-year in general merchandise sales.
Here are some of Euclid’s top findings in this month’s report around shopper behavior metrics:
• Shopper traffic increased 12%, compared to the same month last year as warmer weather and the Easter holiday drove consumers out shopping.
• Storefront conversion increased less than 1% year-over-year as more targeted shopping trips were seen in a more promotional environment.
• Duration increased 18% from the previous year as weather and promotions propelled longer shopping trips. However, a year-over-year decrease in tax refund volume and less willingness to spend refunds may have mitigated the impact of duration improvement on average sales.
• Repeat visits decreased 1% year-over-year due to more efficient holiday shopping.
The best shopping day of April was Monday, April 6. This date experienced significantly higher traffic and storefront conversion than last year. In addition bounce rate hit its low for the month despite the extra traffic volume. Many more shoppers were seen on the day after Easter than typically expected as heightened promotions continued.
On the other hand, Sunday, April 19, was the worst shopping day of the month. This date experienced lower than expected traffic and particularly low average duration. Sundays were strong days the previous April, but it appears that some of this activity moved to Monday in 2015.