.U.S. Black Friday Retail Traffic Mirrors Year‑to‑Date Trends, Report Shows

• In‑store traffic was down 2.1% compared to 2024 Black Friday results, essentially flat with the year‑to‑date 2025 decline of 2.2%.
• During the Black Friday week (Nov. 23‑28) traffic surged 56.7% versus the prior week (Nov. 16‑21).
• Shopper traffic on Black Friday (Nov. 28) outpaced the previous Friday (Nov. 21) by 248.9%.

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland – Sensormatic Solutions, the global retail‑technology arm of Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), released its first‑look analysis of U.S. Black Friday foot traffic for the 2025 holiday season. Leveraging ShopperTrak Analytics—an AI‑driven platform that aggregates roughly 40 billion store visits worldwide each year—the data show a modest 2.1% dip in overall in‑store visits versus the 2024 holiday peak, mirroring the 2.2% year‑to‑date decline for 2025. Nevertheless, the day‑over‑day jump of 248.9% from the Friday before Black Friday signals a pronounced consumer rush.

“Traffic has been steadily climbing throughout the second half of 2025, gaining momentum during the back‑to‑school period,” said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions. “This week’s performance suggests the upward trend will persist through the remainder of the holiday season, with Black Friday remaining the busiest shopping day of the year as shoppers chase deep discounts on high‑ticket items.”

ShopperTrak’s analytics also confirm that early afternoon continues to be the prime window for in‑store browsing. As in prior years, traffic peaked between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., with 3 p.m. emerging as the single most crowded hour for retailers.

The Season Ahead

While Black Friday is expected to be the marquee day of the 2025 U.S. holiday season, Sensormatic projects that the “golden window” of peak traffic will shift toward the final days before Christmas. This year’s holiday calendar places Christmas on a Thursday for the first time in over a decade, a factor that traditionally spreads consumer spending over a longer span and could sustain higher foot traffic throughout the week of Dec. 22‑25.

From a technology standpoint, retailers are increasingly relying on real‑time sensor data, computer‑vision analytics, and predictive AI to orchestrate staffing, inventory positioning, and dynamic pricing. Sensormatic’s platform integrates Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, and video analytics to deliver granular heat‑maps of shopper flow, enabling merchants to adjust checkout staffing in five‑minute intervals and to trigger localized promotions when dwell time spikes in specific zones.

“The data we’re seeing today offers a clear competitive advantage for retailers that can translate foot‑traffic insights into actionable store operations,” Gustafson added. “In 2024, 77% of retailers who outperformed in holiday foot traffic sustained that advantage into the first half of 2025. Replicating that success will hinge on how quickly firms can leverage sensor data to enhance the omnichannel experience—bridging online inventory visibility with in‑store availability.”

Looking forward, the convergence of edge‑computing sensors with cloud‑based analytics platforms is poised to accelerate. Retailers adopting these technologies can expect improved loss‑prevention accuracy, finer inventory turnover metrics, and a richer understanding of shopper intent—all of which are critical as consumer expectations evolve toward seamless, data‑driven experiences.

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) designs, manufactures, and integrates building‑technology solutions that make environments safer, more comfortable, and more energy‑efficient. With a legacy of 140 years of innovation, the company’s OpenBlue platform unifies IoT, AI, and analytics to drive sustainable outcomes across sectors such as healthcare, education, data centers, transportation, and manufacturing.

About Sensormatic Solutions

Sensormatic Solutions, a Johnson Controls business, provides an end‑to‑end retail‑technology suite that includes loss‑prevention hardware, inventory‑intelligence software, and foot‑traffic analytics. For more than five decades, the company has helped retailers transform raw sensor data into strategic actions that improve operational efficiency, enhance the shopper experience, and safeguard assets.