Retail Psychologist Says Stow Festive Themes until Closer to Christmas
The latest Retail Traffic Index (RTI) figures from research group SPSL, show that the build-up to Christmas shopping has yet to start, and that it may not all be down to the economic downturn. The Retail Traffic Index for October shows that footfall in non-food stores nationally fell by 1.7% on September and was 1.2% lower than during the same month last year. The view from SPSL’s retail psychologist, Dr Tim Denison, is that retailers are in serious danger of putting off customers with early Christmas theming in-store and in their advertising campaigns.
“I think what we may be seeing is another piece of a long term trend falling into place. We have known for a few years now that people are generally leaving their in-store Christmas shopping later and later. This is partly in the belief that the bargains will be more numerous then, partly because there rarely seem to be genuine, last minute, stock-outs nowadays and partly because fewer people plan ahead as they used to; symptomatic of their time-poor state. We have also established that many more people are doing their initial scouting work for presents on-line rather than on foot in the weeks of November.
“Perhaps, however, there is something new at work here, too. What we are beginning to pick up is people reacting against the growing levels of Christmas-themed product, advertising and in-store merchandising creeping into stores and onto our TV screens, by the middle of October.
“Whilst the temptation for retailers is always to take steps to advance the Christmas shopping boom as much as possible, there will be a point at which consumer mass-irritation gives way to definite veto behaviour. It’s possible that we have reached that point and that some retailers are harming their campaigns by beginning them too early. The very fact that some shops are running Halloween and Guy Fawkes’ Night campaigns in parallel as well, may even be stifling their individual effectiveness.”
As long term readers of these monthly releases will know, October represents the month in which historically there has been the least fluctuation in the number of shoppers entering retail outlets over the years. Certainly for 2000 – 2004 you could throw a hat over the differences between the five years. Over the last three years though, shopper numbers have been on the slide in October and this year there were 6.9% fewer shoppers in stores against the 2000-2004 benchmark.
“The data do not signify a wash-out Christmas is on its way for retailers,” says Denison, “but they are nevertheless on track with SPSL’s long range forecast of seeing 2.0% fewer shoppers in December compared to 2006. Some retailers will receive our latest figures with alarm, others, given the many negative voices on the debt burden, will be mildly relieved.”
“Of course it is impossible to determine how much weight we can attribute to this putative backlash trend in contributing to the latest downturn in October’s retail footfall. There are certainly more mainstream economic factors at work, as we have regularly been reporting. Declining disposable income and the levelling of house prices are undoubtedly leaving their mark on shopping behaviour.
“Nevertheless, as a retail psychologist, one gets the distinct feeling walking around the shops and overhearing peoples’ conversations that there is visceral tension in the stores this year from having to listen to Christmas tunes, pass flashing festive displays and being force-fed faux-bonhomie so early. There are real concerns that retailers are not helping their own cause this year. I’m sure that many shoppers would sooner stay at home than endure endless re-plays of Stop the Cavalry, Do they know it’s Christmas and Merry Xmas Everybody, for two and a half months.”
ENDS
