Save E-mail

Send this URL to a friend:

* - Denotes a required field.
Your Name*
Your Email Address*
Friend's Name*
Friend's Email Address*
Subject*
Message*

Print

Port Washington, N.Y.--The number of consumers roaming the aisles at brick-and-mortar stores rose slightly in the week ended Dec. 19, though the number of people shopping online was down a bit.

According to the latest figures from The NPD Group Inc.’s weekly holiday shopping activity report, 68 percent of consumers visited a brick-and-mortar location last week, up from 67 percent in the prior week.

As usual, grocery and drug stores received the most visits, though the research shows that more consumers also were visiting general merchandise stores. Shoe stores performed particularly well, with shopping activity at shoe chain stores rising 28 percent and traffic at footwear specialty stores up 19 percent.

NPD Chief Industry Analyst Marshal Cohen said footwear, particularly shearling boots--a category that includes brands such as the popular UGG boots--is building momentum as a gift item for the holidays.

The shopping conversion rate also increased by a percentage point in the week ended Dec. 19, rising from 67 percent to 68 percent. Specialty footwear posted the largest increase in conversion rate, with it rising 10 points.

“This is the second best week for brick-and-mortar conversion since we began tracking it for the holiday season,” Cohen said. “It’s a good sign that even during the latter part of the shopping lull consumers are back in the stores and buying again.”

Meanwhile, shopping activity online is down slightly, with online share of buying visits for last week at 16 percent, down from 17 percent the prior week.

“Brick-and-mortar shopping is expected to have a strong finish and be even stronger post-holiday period,” Cohen said. “Consumers are seeking the deal all season, and the deals are just now starting to shape up for some more dramatic discounts without the crazy hours to get them. The only issue will be ... they won’t be the ‘pick of the litter,’ as retailers are already showing signs of broken stock on selected styles.”

The NPD Group’s Shopping Activity Weekly Holiday Trends is a new report that is part of the group’s Shopping Activity Service, a study fielded to 4,750 U.S. consumers daily. It has been used to track trends throughout the 2011 holiday season.