Holiday Season Series: Capacity and Inventory Planning | Part 1: Plan for Peak Holiday Visitation

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Can you hear the bells a ringin’?  That’s right, the holidays are right around the corner and it’s make-or-break season for retailers. 

For store operators, getting a competitive edge for 2023 means taking a long hard look…backward. Observing years’ past location data will be your roadmap for the influx of shoppers in ‘23 and help you to capitalize on the opportunity presented this holiday season. Let's learn how! 

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Benefits of Location Data for Holiday Planning: Capacity & Inventory Planning

Success during the holidays oftentimes comes down to the preparation and planning in the weeks and months leading up to the season. 

One area of preparation is for the spike in foot traffic that comes during this time of year. The holidays are the busiest time of year for most retailers and require proactive planning to ensure a location is:

  • Staffed appropriately
  • Carrying the right level of inventory
  • Continuing to deliver top notch customer service

Previous years’ location data provides operators with reliable estimates for the expected changes to visitor foot traffic on a week-by-week basis leading up to, during, and after the holiday season. 

This, in turn, can be used to ensure efficient levels of staffing and inventory to meet demand and deliver seamless shopper experiences. This data helps answer questions like:

  • How does visitation change the week of Black Friday? 
  • How high is foot traffic the week before Christmas? 
  • When does in-store traffic peak? 
  • How fast does it fall off post-holidays?

Answering these questions means that operators can plan ahead now for the demands of the business, freeing up valuable time during the peak weeks of the season.

Case Study: Target

To bring these questions to life, Unacast took a look at the past four holiday seasons: ‘19, ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22 at a specific retailer: Target. 

The gray boxes in the graphic represent the spikes in foot traffic to a single representative Target location during the holiday season, which we’ve defined as the first week of November through the first week of January. Compared to the time period preceding the gray box, foot traffic peaks at 40-75% higher, depending on the year. 

location data capacity planning


In addition to identifying the spikes in foot traffic, this graphic also highlights the importance of brick-and-mortar shopping in the digital age. 

During each of the past four years, the highest annual visitation occurred during the holiday season. Customers value flexibility in how and where they purchase, but this hasn’t diminished or devalued the brick-and-mortar experience.

Diving back into the data, we can break down the actual weekly percentage differences to most accurately plan for the season.

Between 2020-2022, on average, visitation patterns were steady for the first 3-4 weeks of November. The week of Black Friday accelerates visitation by ~30% above the pre-holiday benchmark and foot traffic continues to climb until the week before Christmas. During this week, foot traffic is ~60% higher than average.

Foot traffic quickly returns to normal by the last week of December into the new year.

location data inventory planning


Knowing these benchmarks ahead of the season, teams can develop plans that match the expected flow of visitors to the store. 

For example, during the peak weeks before Christmas, when visitation is 60% higher than normal, the store will likely need more staff for working registers, replenishing inventory on shelves, and handling customer questions.

These needs are short-term and contained, though, as scheduling can return to normal by the week following Christmas.

In the current environment, staffing continues to be a challenge for many retailers. Proactive planning can ensure that the schedules are prepared far in advance for the benefit of both the location and the workers.

Access the Data with Unacast Insights

This information is readily accessible within the Unacast Insights platform - all without the need for complex technical skills.

Finding a location within the Venues tab is as simple as using the search bar for the desired store.

location data insights


Once selected, the View More Details button brings a user to traffic trends, viewable Monthly or Weekly. On hover, the metrics for visitation count are revealed, providing granular insights into the weekly or monthly metrics for any period of the year, viewable over a multi-year period.

location data black friday


Access to timely and reliable information powers data-driven decision making at all levels of the organization. As retailers seek to gain an edge — particularly during the all important holiday shopping seasons — location data provides a competitive advantage in all aspects of the business from strategic planning to store-level execution.

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Check out Part 2: Connect With Your Holiday Shoppers!

Frequently Asked Questions

Discover how analyzing real-world movement patterns can reveal valuable trends in customer behavior, optimize business operations, and enhance strategic decision-making.

What is site selection and why is it important?

Site selection is the strategic process by which businesses identify, evaluate, and choose optimal locations for their operations. This process is paramount as the location of a business directly influences factors such as accessibility, visibility, profitability, and market longevity. For retailers, the right site can mean higher customer footfall and increased sales. In real estate, a well-selected site can promise lucrative returns on investment and tenant stability. Financial service firms leverage site selection to position their branches or ATMs in high-demand areas. Essentially, site selection plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success and growth of a business by aligning its physical presence with market opportunities and demands.

How does location intelligence enhance site selection?

Location intelligence refers to the harnessing of geospatial data to derive actionable insights, which can significantly enhance the site selection process. By analyzing data like consumer demographics, foot traffic patterns, competitor locations, trade area data, and more, businesses can make more informed decisions about where to establish or expand their operations. Location intelligence allows for a deeper understanding of market dynamics, revealing hidden opportunities or potential pitfalls. For instance, retailers can identify gaps in the market, real estate professionals can forecast property value trends, and financial service providers can assess areas with high customer demand. Advanced tools, like those offered by Unacast, further refine these insights by leveraging AI and machine learning, enabling more precise and timely decision-making.

What challenges do businesses face in the site selection process?

Unacast provides invaluable support to businesses during the site selection process through its advanced location data and analytics software, all powered and refined by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies. The company offers a suite of products designed to deliver accurate, actionable, and comprehensive location intelligence. This data proves crucial for businesses looking to understand consumer behavior, analyze traffic patterns, evaluate competitor locations, and much more. With Unacast’s robust tools, businesses in retail, real estate, and financial services can derive insightful information necessary for making strategic, informed site selection decisions. The platform not only provides reliable data but also ensures it is readily actionable for businesses, whether they are looking to open a new store, invest in property, or expand their financial services to new locations.

What types of location data are crucial for informed site selection?

Demographic data offers insights into the age, income, and lifestyle of people in a particular area, helping businesses understand their potential customer base. Foot traffic data provides information on the number of people visiting a location, which is crucial for retailers to estimate the store's potential popularity and for real estate professionals to assess an area's vibrancy and demand. Geographic Information System (GIS) data helps in visualizing and analyzing geographical details, supporting companies in identifying accessible and strategically located sites. Understanding the proximity to competitors, accessibility, and the socio-economic profile of the surrounding areas is also vital. Unacast’s platform aggregates and analyzes these various data types, providing a holistic view that significantly empowers businesses in their site selection endeavors.

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