As we head into the holiday season, retailers are preparing for the rush of traffic that will inevitable come. Retail bakeries are not excluded from this, as many shoppers will not only be purchasing gifts for loved ones, but also grabbing a bite to eat during their shopping excursions.
It's important for small businesses to identify which days will be the busiest. When the time comes, they can be prepared with increased staff and higher product volume.
ShopperTrak is a retail analyst that helps retailers, malls, and entertainment venues around the globe understand when shoppers are coming in their doors, where they’re going, and how to make the most of that information. In late September, the company announced its list of the anticipated busiest shopping days of 2017.
Topping the list was Black Friday, which takes place on Friday, November 24. Overall, the top ten retail days are expected to account for between 40 percent and 45 percent of all holiday shopping.
Here are the top ten predicted shopping days for the holidays, courtesy of ShopperTrak:
- Friday, Nov. 24
- Saturday, Dec. 23
- Saturday, Dec. 16
- Tuesday, Dec. 26
- Saturday, Nov. 25
- Friday, Dec. 22
- Saturday, Dec. 9
- Saturday, Dec. 2
- Saturday, Dec. 30
- Thursday, Dec. 21
The most noteworthy date is at #5. Saturday, November 25 is Small Business Saturday. Independent retail bakeries can look to bring in customers on that day with specials and promotions.
Another takeaway from ShopperTrak's top ten list is that there are six Saturdays on the list. There are four Saturdays in December before Christmas, which hasn't happened since 2012.
“Based on our historical analysis, we know that Black Friday will remain the busiest shopping day for brick-and-mortar retail,” say Brian Field, senior director of advisory services at ShopperTrak. “The Thanksgiving Day weekend, which includes Black Friday as the busiest day and November 25 as the fifth busiest day, will be a critical span of days for retailers as they head into the holiday season.”
