ShopperTrak: June 2012

Total U.S. shopper traffic in retail stores and malls for June 2012

Summer retail is heating up. June brought high temperatures and a steady stream of shoppers to stores across the nation. Retail foot traffic in June increased 5.2% compared with the previous month and 7% over the same period last year.  Retailers saw a peak mid-month as shoppers splurged on Dad for Father’s Day on June 17. Retailers also benefited from June containing the last Friday and Saturday leading up to the week of July 4. Shoppers capitalized on the mid-week holiday by starting vacations early or browsing for celebratory items on those days.

Shoppers in search of seasonal merchandise and a break from the heat found their way to retail stores – especially on weekends last month. And this June contained one more Saturday than last year.

Declining gasoline prices further ensured a steady stream of shoppers. ShopperTrak correlates lower gasoline prices to higher foot-traffic rates. When shoppers spend less money at the pump, data indicates they are more inclined to make car trips and visit more stores. Since gasoline prices dropped over the last five weeks, retailers reaped the benefits.

Year-over-year changes in foot traffic have been trending positively since President’s Day 2012, and the people counting company expects the pattern to continue through August if gas prices remain low. This trend may also translate into additional disposable income to spend during the back-to-school shopping season. 

Source: retailingtoday.com