Black Friday Footfall Down 5.4%

According to Springboard data, Black Friday footfall was down 5.4% compared to last year.  Footfall also declined by 5.6% on Saturday and 4.3% on Sunday.

The data showed that shopping centres saw the worst performance with an 8.3% decline in footfall on Friday, with similar results over the weekend. Retail park footfall declined by 5.3% and high street footfall fell by 4% on Friday.

Online transactions are understood to have risen by 46% up to 4pm on Black Friday, according to data from Loqate and GBG.

Diane Wehrle, Springboard insights director, said: “The drop in footfall is a reflection of the larger discounts offered online. Online is open for business 24 hours a day and is therefore seen as a more convenient option for shoppers.

“The stronger resilience of high streets and retail parks in comparison to shopping centres is likely to be a function of their wider range of hospitality outlets compared with shopping centres. 

"Throughout the weekend, the drop in footfall was most dramatic in shopping centres; the stronger resilience of high streets and retail parks in comparison is likely to be a function of their wider range of hospitality outlets compared with shopping centres. This illustrates that many shoppers regard Black Friday as a leisure day which is likely to include a stop for coffee or lunch during their trip.

“Discounts continue on Cyber Monday, however, given that Black Friday discounts were made available throughout the week in advance of the day itself, and have continued over the weekend, it is likely that the impetus to make purchases will largely be over.”

Source : Insight DIY Team

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