Sensormatic Solutions, a global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, predicts that Black Friday, taking place Nov. 26, will be the busiest shopping day in the U.S. for 2021. The prediction comes from retail traffic data analytics within the company’s intelligent operating platform Sensormatic IQ.
On average, the top 10 busiest shopping days in the U.S. make up 40 percent of all retail traffic. The company also predicts that in-store traffic will still be down 10 to 15 percent compared to 2019, before the pandemic massively affected consumer shopping. The Saturday before Christmas is expected to be the second business shopping day, followed by Dec. 23.
“Our predicted busiest days mark the peaks of in-store traffic, but we expect that like last year, consumers will start their shopping earlier to offset inventory limitations shipping delays and ongoing concerns about social distancing,” says Brian Field, senior director, Sensormatic Solutions, Global Retail Consulting Practice, whose team predicts the top busiest days of the holiday season. “Additionally, with Christmas Day on a Saturday for the first time since 2010, and stores closed that day to observe the holiday, we expect more holiday shopper traffic than usual will occur in the days leading up to Christmas and on December 26.”
Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday, is another popular shopping day. Encourage customers to shop local with these tips for hosting a Small Business Saturday event from Independent We Stand.
