Black Friday 2011: Even Better Shopping Days Revealed
As retailers and consumers gear up for sales this Black Friday, there are more opportunities for the best deals without the holiday shopper headache. The trick is to know exactly when to go to the stores without having to fight the frenzied holiday crowds expected this season.
"Most people shop on two of the season's famous days, Black Friday and Super Saturday, because they're convenient and offer potentially good deals," said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak cofounder.
"ShopperTrak counts and analyzes billions of shopper visits at 40,000 locations globally. Based on real-time analytics, we can predict even better days to shop, when consumers' time and dollars will go further,” Martin added.
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According to ShopperTrak, there are days in between Thanksgiving and Christmas that tend to have less foot traffic. The result is shorter lines, less stress and perhaps some better deals.
Businesses know they must keep people coming through their doors, so they often have special daily deals during the week when they know the crowds are lighter.
The weekdays following Black Friday and Super Saturday are some of the season’s best times to go to the stores. Black Friday has historically been the top producing sales day of the holiday season.
More than 200 million shoppers flocked to stores last year spending more than $10.6 billion. The next day, known as Super Saturday, drew more than $6.06 billion from shopper’s pockets to retailer’s registers.
With most shoppers cramming all their activities within a few days, one would be wise to have an eagle eye when it comes to looking for super deals during the off-peak period.
Weekdays in early December, however, will be some of the best days to beat the crowds, according to ShopperTrak. While every store's foot-traffic patterns differ, weekday business hours, even during the holidays, are typically less trafficked.
Most shoppers venture out just after Thanksgiving or in the days leading up to Christmas, making the time in between a shopper's haven. Stores will have smaller crowds and more sales as they work to get customers in the door during off-peak holiday shopping periods.
According to their website, ShopperTrak was developed to allow businesses the ability to anonymously count and track consumers to more better manage business and to provide better service to customers.
