Seasonal sales, holiday promotions and Black Friday sales are gaining more and more popularity in Russia.
Several peak days during the New Year holidays can provide more than half of sales to retailers and provide the maximum traffic in the shopping centers of Russia in a year. December is traditionally seen as the top-performing month in most retail segments, leading to higher sales in the fourth quarter as a whole. But it is precisely on New Year's Eve that a significant part of purchases falls, which makes them the most valuable for retailers.
It is predicted that the busiest days in shopping centers and shops in Russia will be December 28-31. Separately, it is worth mentioning November 29, which falls "Black Friday", every year gaining popularity in the country. In 2016, sales on this day in an annual comparison increased by 9%, in 2017 by almost 20%, and in 2018 by more than 30%.
The next bursts of buying activity will be marked on January 6-7 and 13-14. These days, a significant number of holiday promotions and promotions in consumer electronics, home goods, gifts, clothing and footwear, and food stores will be added to the seasonal sale. Preparing for the New Year and Christmas, Russians traditionally make the most significant purchases in the last two weeks of December with an increase in the intensity of purchases and an increase in the average bill by the end of the month.
In the US, the holiday season is also a big deal for retailers. ShopperTrak estimates that the top ten days in terms of shopping traffic will provide up to half of the sales of the entire season of the big holiday season.
Unlike Russia, in the US, analysts single out the ten busiest days for shopping during the holiday period:
- November 29 - Black Friday
- December 21 - Saturday before Christmas
- December 26 - Day after Christmas, or "Boxing Day"
- December 14 - two Saturdays before Christmas
- November 30 - Saturday after Black Friday
- December 22-23 - Sunday and Monday before Christmas
- December 27-28 - Friday and Saturday after Christmas
- December 7 - first Saturday of December
Experts note that retailers pay special attention to the busiest sales days of the year in order to make the right decisions about planning, distribution of goods, inventory, and also have a clear idea of possible losses and losses.
"With 45% of US holiday sales on top shopping days, it's especially important for retailers to prioritize in-store customer interactions to better drive sales, retain customers, and maintain good brand perception," commented Bjorn Petersen, President Sensormatic Solutions. According to him, information about customer traffic should be used to prevent possible losses from theft, as well as to keep the right amount of goods in key categories and essentials.