“We’ve started to see a backlash in America and the United Kingdom, where larger retailers have chose to not take part in Black Friday”.
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Unlike other research firms relying on statistics, surveys and projections, Google is leveraging its vast trove of mobile data to make a guess at when 2015’s in-store foot traffic is going to be the heaviest – something that online shoppers at Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and elsewhere, of course, don’t have to deal with.
More than ever before, Google wants to help shoppers navigate the wretched non-holiday known as Black Friday.
Plus, even if a store is advertising an incredible deal on TVs that you’ll only get on Black Friday, there are other great deals to be had. It’s a genuinely terrifying tradition, but thankfully, Google has pulled from its vast network of data to offer some helpful tips.
Foot traffic peaks between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., which is when you should avoid shopping if you want to steer clear of the crowds.
Before, retailers using AdWords could only see the foot traffic for their stores on a given day.
Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: “The lead up to Christmas has been growing and we’re looking forward to Friday and expecting a busy day ahead of a busy weekend”.
While many Americans think that it’s best to avoid Black Friday shopping in the morning (that’s probably thanks to all those media images you see of people lined up to burst into the stores), the Google analysis found that store traffic peaks on Black Friday between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. In fact, there’s quite a rush to discount stores and dollar stores for those desperation gifts on Christmas Eve.
Believe it or not Black Friday isn’t the only major holiday shopping day of the season.
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On a more serious note, the stats also show how much data Google can gather about our offline habits. “With this insight, that toy store might invest in search terms that drive both online and offline sales, and display those products at the front of their store”.
