Your inventory's ordered, your seasonal hiring's (hopefully) done, and you're almost ready for the busiest shopping period of the year. Or are you? Do you know when to staff your stores for all-hands-on-deck shifts? Do you know which shifts you might be able to save some labour spend on? Are you ready for a rush of shoppers that might appear on days that are normally a little slower for your stores?

To help address these questions, Sensormatic Solutions has compiled our annual report on the busiest days of the Christmas shopping season. In it, you'll get consumer trends, insights on inventory management, labour optimisation, loss prevention and more!

Download your copy of Europe’s Busiest Christmas Shopping Days of 2022 now, or keep reading for more insights you can use to succeed this Christmas.

Our annual predictions aren't based on guesswork. Our team of data scientists and experienced retail leaders use a variety of factors to pinpoint when shoppers are most likely to head to stores to get their shopping done. Some of those factors include:

• historical shopping patterns
• how and when shoppers respond to sales and promotions
• days of the week holidays and events fall on
• weather predictions — including how similar weather impacted shoppers' choices in the past
• evolving behaviours and preferences

All told, these points — and more — give us a robust data set from which to draw conclusions. And if history is an accurate judge, we hit the mark far more often than we miss.

Our annual Busiest Days reports can arm you with the information you need to ensure your stores are set up to succeed during retail's most important revenue-generating period of the year.

A survey undertaken for a November 2022 Sensormatic Solutions Consumer Sentiment Report found some key differences among European shoppers when it comes to plans for shopping this Christmas. Perhaps due to ongoing political uncertainty and economic impact of Brexit, shoppers in the UK were much more likely (74%) to say that price was the biggest factor shaping their Christmas spending this year. Shoppers in Spain, however, were least likely (60%) to say price was the biggest factor.

Meanwhile, 68% of Italian shoppers plan to spend less this year, making them the most likely to tighten their belts this Christmas. German shoppers, on the other hand, are least likely (62%) to spend less, followed closely by Spanish shoppers (64%). When it comes to shopping in stores, 74% of Spanish shoppers plan to do their Christmas shopping the old-fashioned way, while 70% of those in the UK agreed. Just 63% of German shoppers said they, too, plan to shop in stores, making them the least likely to shop traditionally. This may be one reason why Germans are also least likely (11%) to use Click & Collect. However, none of the countries surveyed seem exactly enthusiastic about Click & Collect. UK shoppers were most likely to use it (32%), followed by 20% of French shoppers. Those in Spain (12%) and Italy (14%) were much closer to German shoppers when it comes to use of Click & Collect.

So, what does all this mean for retailers? First, nearly two-thirds of all European shoppers planning to spend less this Christmas, meaning retailers will need to minimise out-of-stocks, distribute best-selling items to stores that need them most, and ensure the busiest shifts are staffed with associates trained on value-added selling.

Likewise, retailers will need to strengthen their loss prevention efforts to minimise shrinkage and unexpected out-of-stocks, and a source tagging partner to free up associates to engage with customers and keep inventory levels optimal.

So, what will Europe's busiest Christmas shopping days be, exactly?

Unlike North America, where Black Friday reigns supreme, Europe's busiest days are somewhat more diverse. While the UK's busiest days are most similar to North America's forecast — with their top days being clustered right around the Christmas holiday — France, Spain, and Italy all feature busiest days that fall in the new year. In fact, Spanish shoppers will head to stores later than those in any global country we've profiled, with four of their five busiest days happening around Epiphany, well after we ring in 2023. (Download the full report to see the rest!)

France

1. First Saturday of les soldes d’hiver — Saturday, 14 January
2. Saturday after Black Friday — Saturday, 26 November
3. Second Saturday before Christmas — Saturday,10 December

Spain

1. Saturday after Epiphany — Saturday, 7 January
2. Monday before Epiphany — Monday, 2 January
3. Tuesday before Epiphany — Tuesday, 3 January

Germany

1. Saturday after Black Friday — Saturday, 26 November
2. Second Saturday before Christmas — Saturday, 10 December
3. Super Saturday — Saturday, 17 December

Italy

1. Epiphany — Friday, 6 January
2. Sunday before Christmas — Sunday, 18 December
3. Sunday after Epiphany — Sunday, 8 January

United Kingdom

1. Friday before Christmas — Friday, 23 December
2. Thursday before Christmas — Thursday, 22 December
3. Super Saturday — Saturday, 17 December

However, don't let these last minute shopping days fool you. In the UK, Sensormatic Solutions' research found that half of consumers surveyed said they began their Christmas shopping in October. In Italy, 65% of consumers said they planned to start shopping in November or earlier, while in Spain, 85% of consumers surveyed planned to start Black Friday weekend or earlier.

“We predict consumers will be more proactive during this year’s shopping season, and retailers must prepare in advance," said Brian Field, global leader of retail consulting and analytics for Sensormatic Solutions. "With this year’s Christmas shopping schedule spreading out over several months, data-driven insights will be crucial to store success. Retailers who take steps to implement technology early in the year are likely to find themselves at an advantage come November and December.”

Want to see the full list of 2022's busiest Christmas shopping days, plus insights on how to prepare effectively in advance? Download your copy of Europe's Busiest Christmas Shopping Days of 2022 today. It's your best resource for preparing your staff and stores for the Christmas rush.