Overall December retail sales down but brick-and-mortar experienced a post-Christmas surge

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For the month of December, brick-and-mortar retailers realized a 6.5% decline in year-over-year sales and a 7.1% decrease in comparable foot traffic, according to RetailNext's monthly Retail Performance Pulse released Thursday. 

 

"December started slowly, but ended with a strong surge at the end of the month," said Shelley Kohan, RetailNext VP retail consulting. "The fourth week – the week inclusive of the post-shipping cut off for most retailers and the days after Christmas - was a strong performer for brick-and-mortar retailers. In fact, the after-Christmas selling days of Dec. 26 and 27 boasted a 7.9% increase year-over-year in sales, on a 3.2% increase in traffic. Average Transaction Value for those two post-Christmas days was also up 11.1%, a positive sign from a margin perspective for retailers," he said.

 

"Overall, the holiday period for physical retail can be summed up with strong 'bookend' performance," Kohan added. "Early-November and late-December had the most positive results for retail stores. While digital stole the show in between and captivated shoppers with aggressive promotional strategies, retailers who were able to effectively converge digital and physical channels to encapsulate the entire period will show the most positive results for the Holiday season."