U.S. Retail Traffic Remained Strong Throughout Extended Black Friday Weekend, According to Sensormatic Solutions Data

• After a positive showing on Black Friday, in-store shopper traffic remained elevated throughout the weekend, up 3.5% year over year
• The peak time for in-store shopping across the three days was 2-3 p.m.

Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, today shared its insights on in-store shopper traffic over the extended Black Friday weekend in the United States. The brand’s analytics showed that shopper visits to brick-and-mortar stores and shopping centers from Nov. 24 through 26 increased 3.5% from 2022. Overall, year-over-year (YOY) shopper traffic has been relatively flat in 2023, down an average of just 2.4% throughout the year to date.

In further detail, Sensormatic Solutions traffic data showed:

• Traffic on Black Friday (Nov. 24) was up 4.6% from 2022 and seven percentage points compared to 2023’s year-to-date average. This is the most significant YOY increase the industry has seen in recent memory (outside of pandemic years).
• YOY traffic on Saturday (Nov. 25) and Sunday (Nov. 26) was elevated, which is a departure from last year’s trend. In 2022, shopper traffic dipped following Black Friday’s modest gains, but foot traffic on Nov. 25 and 26, 2023, increased 2.8% and 1% YOY, respectively.
• Traffic over the extended Black Friday weekend was up 3.5% from 2022. As in years past, the peak shopping time across all three days was 2–3 p.m.

“Given the results of Black Friday and the remaining weekend, retailers have much to celebrate this holiday season,” said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions. “Shopping as entertainment seems to be a defining feature of 2023’s holiday season. As they did on Black Friday, shoppers looked to retail experiences for a way to spend time with family and friends throughout the weekend.”

Sensormatic Solutions also finalized its analysis of traffic patterns on Black Friday. With all relevant data considered, the power of promotions appeared to be at the heart of the strong shopper turnout on Nov. 24. Holiday shoppers this season are prepared to spend in person to take advantage of in-store promotions. Furthermore, the positive results on Nov. 25 may speak to a larger trend this year, as five of the brand’s remaining predicted top busiest days in 2023 are Saturdays.

“Brick-and-mortar stores remain the centerpiece of the retail industry, and consumers are flocking to stores to experience the joys of in-person shopping,” Gustafson continued. “As we look toward the rest of the holiday season, retailers should use insights from Black Friday to fine-tune their plans for the remaining year. Power Hour reports can shed light on the peak times for store traffic to inform staffing. At the same time, inventory data, computer vision, and other tools can help leaders identify areas ripe for opportunity and make adjustments that drive even more satisfying holiday shopping experiences.”

To learn more about how Sensormatic Solutions can help retailers make the most of the holiday season, visit www.sensormatic.com. For more Sensormatic Solutions holiday insights, use #SensormaticHolidays2023 to follow along on LinkedIn and X.

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

Building on a proud history of nearly 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering.

Today, with a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry.

Visit www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnson Controls on social platforms.

About Sensormatic Solutions

Sensormatic Solutions is the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls powering operational excellence at scale and enabling smart and connected shopper engagement. Our intelligent digital operating platform – Sensormatic IQ – combines the full Sensormatic Solutions portfolio, including third-party data to deliver unmatched insights into shopper experience, inventory intelligence, loss prevention and operational effectiveness with advanced technologies, like AI and Machine Learning. This enables retailers to act on prescriptive and predictive data-driven outcomes to confidently move into the future. Please visit Sensormatic Solutions or follow us on LinkedIn, X, and our YouTube channel.

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