Halloween resurrects High Street footfall performance, as shopper traffic rises +29 percent year-on-year, according to data from Sensormatic Solutions

A Saturday Halloween prompted a surge in store traffic, as shoppers’ adoption of ‘Spooky Season’ continues to grow, the latest data from Sensormatic Solutions, the global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, reveals.

Data from its ShopperTrak Analytics platform, which captures 40 billion store visits globally each year, showed that footfall on Halloween (31st Oct 2026) rose +29 percent year-on-year, while week-on-week it delivered a +13 percent boost to High Street shopper traffic.

This builds on last year, when Halloween delivered a +4.6 percent rise in footfall versus the year prior and a +3 percent boost in weekly store visits, as it continues to grow and become a key spending event in the retail calendar.

“The timing of Halloween, which fell on a Saturday this year, would have helped retailers capitalise on the event, which continues to grow in popularity with consumers,” said Andy Sumpter, Head of Consulting & Analytics at Sensormatic Solutions. “Even as consumer confidence remains shaky, Halloween shoppers put aside their purchasing hesitancy to get into the spirit of ‘Spooky Season’, prompting a rise in store traffic.”

ShopperTrak’s data showed that Retail Parks saw the biggest boost, with shopper traffic rising +32 percent year-on-year, followed by High Streets (+30 percent) and Shopping Centres (+26 percent).  The event also saw store visits jump +36% when compared to the daily average for the prior two weeks.

“After a Halloween boost to footfall, retailers will be looking ahead to the Golden Quarter and hoping to sustain that momentum as they get into the business end of the year,” said Sumpter.   “The Black Friday weekend will once again be a key barometer of consumer mood but will also be a make-or-break start to festive shopping in full.”

Analysis in its latest ‘Christmas 2026: UK Shopper Insights’ report predicts that the Saturday after Black Friday (28th Nov 2026) will be the biggest day for Peak Trading store visits, followed by Boxing Day (26th Dec 2026) and Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas (19th Dec 2026).

Image courtesy of Unsplash. Photo credit: Nik.