Released 22 December 2006
Latest figures from retail analyst SPSL released today show that shopper numbers are continuing to rise in the week before the final Christmas-week rush - for the week of 10th December to 16th December inclusive, shopper numbers were up 6.4% on the previous week - but are still showing a drop of 5.3% on the equivalent week last year (w/c 11th December 2005).
Dr. Tim Denison, Director of Knowledge Management at SPSL and leading retail psychologist comments; “The Retail Traffic Index™ figures represent by far the most comprehensive and robust sample of people actually entering stores and constitute one ever-reliable rock of fact in the shifting sands of contradictory Christmas data.
“This latest dataset shows that retailers generally are still doing significantly better than many had predicted, although shopping behaviour this year has been affected by several factors including greater use of the internet for both browsing and buying, rising interest rates and utility bills, and a widening gap between those still feeling well-off and confident and those reining in their spending. This may well explain the fact that there are still fewer people entering stores this year than last and, in the third week of Christmas shopping (10th – 16th), we see the year-on-year gap once again fairly close to that of the recent figures. Nevertheless those who are shopping may well be spending more, individually, than last year.
“Our prediction is that shopper numbers will be closer to last year’s in this, the final week of Christmas shopping, with a significant rush expected over the final weekend. In all, we expect retailers’ eventual Christmas trading figures to show that most, but not all, enjoyed a decent Christmas.”
All enquiries for follow up or interviews with Dr Tim Denison should be directed to Theo Chalmers at Verve PR on 01908 275271 (weekdays) or 07932 004632.
ENDS
SPSL would like to make it clear that the RTI is the only UK index that exclusively measures the number of shoppers actually entering stores as opposed to persons entering retail centres, where there may be stores as well as other non-retail premises and which may be accessed for a host of reasons other than in order to enter a store. ABOUT SPSL
Established in 1989, retail research group SPSL is the largest European provider of proprietary tools for high accuracy customer traffic and behavioural analysis deployed by retailers. The company monitors more than 420 million visits to over 2,150 retail premises per annum in the UK alone. Its customers include many of the retail industry’s most successful companies across all retail sectors except grocery, convenience and minor retail service sectors. SPSL is trusted by retailers to provide mission-critical Key Performance Indicators to measure customer volume, sales opportunities, conversion rates, staff stretch, promotional activity and in-store lay-outs. Its data features regularly in serious trade and consumer media and it exclusively provides the UK Retail Traffic Weather Map as seen in Retail Week and on the Retail Bulletin website. Director of SPSL, retail psychologist Dr. Tim Denison is a frequent and popular commentator on issues relating to shopping for national and regional broadcast, print and online media.
Using SPSL systems, retailers are able to reliably measure customer traffic flow on an ongoing hour-by-hour basis as well as determine in-store ‘weather’, assess the impact of marketing initiatives, and tailor staff levels according to customer demand rather than service supply. The company owes its unrivalled reputation and success on the accuracy, dependability and specialist nature of both its data and its support services. It runs its UK and European operations from its head office in Milton Keynes, England and invests heavily in developing advanced behavioural analysis and tracking tools to create ever more beneficial trading results for its customers and ever more enriched shopping experiences for theirs.
STOP PRESS: SPSL wins GLA tender. From 24th July 2006, SPSL has been appointed as sole official supplier of footfall data to the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Transport for London (TfL). The GLA has entrusted SPSL with this critical task in order to have a truly accurate measure of the impact of the existing Congestion Zone and the proposed Congestion Zone western extension on shopper numbers in central London. SPSL is proud to enter into this relationship with the GLA and to have demonstrated once again the superior accuracy, robustness and reliability of its data.
ABOUT THE RETAIL TRAFFIC INDEX (RTI)
The RTI from SPSL is regarded as the national benchmark of retail shopper traffic flow. It is constructed using a nationally representative sample of over 420 million visits to over 2,150 retail premises per annum across the UK, excluding the grocery, convenience and minor retail service sectors. For further details and a full explanation see www.customercounting.com.
For PRODUCT information please contact:Dominic McGuinness or Dr Tim DenisonSPSL34 Walker AvenueWolverton MillMILTON KEYNESMK12 5TWTel: +44( 0)1908 682700Fax: +44( 0)1908 682739website: www.customercounting.com
MEDIA enquiries to:Theo Chalmers Verve Public RelationsPark House, 8 Grove Ash Mount FarmMILTON KEYNES MK1 1BZTel: +44( 0)1908 275271Fax: +44( 0)1908 275272 e-mail: t.chalmers@vervepr.co.uk
