With the 2023 holiday season in the books, United States retailers can rejoice that in-store shopper traffic was in full swing throughout the year’s final few months. Our traffic recap for the 2023 season found that U.S. shopper traffic between Nov. 19 and Dec. 30, 2023, was flat compared to last year, increasing by just .1%. Once again, Black Friday (Nov. 24) was the busiest shopping day of the season, with physical stores seeing their most significant Black Friday shopper traffic increase in recent memory. Shopper traffic was up 4.6% increase on Nov. 24 and 3.5% during the rest of the weekend.

Our shopper traffic data from the holiday season showed that the busiest days of the rush only slightly differed from our predictions for the season’s top busiest shopper traffic days:

Sensormatic Solutions data also showed that visits to physical stores during the top 10 busiest days accounted for 38.2% of all shopper traffic during the 2023 holiday season.

Given these results, things are looking bright for retail as we head into the new year. Consumers are continuing to frequent brick-and-mortar stores, as the experience that in-store shopping provides remains one of retail’s most valuable assets. Retailers may want to review their data and analytics programs to support continued momentum and ensure they are prepared for success as they start the new year.

Retailers can optimize their approaches by utilizing historical data and tools to personalize their strategies. Inventory data, computer vision, and other tools are primary examples of how retailers can identify growth opportunities and utilize shopper insights to build positive shopping experiences. Loss prevention and shrink management will also continue to be top priorities for retailers in 2024. In order to take a more proactive approach to loss prevention programs, retailers may want to implement technology like advanced radio-frequency identification (RFID), predictive analytics, and other tools designed to address shrink threats in retail.

To learn more about how Sensormatic Solutions technologies can drive excellence in loss prevention, shopper insights, and inventory intelligence in the new year, visit www.sensormatic.com.