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 leading 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 (31 Oct 2026) rose +29% year-on-year, while week-on-week it delivered a +13% 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. Spending forecasts suggested that this year shopper spending on Halloween would exceed £705m, a 6% rise compared to 2025.
“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% year-on-year, followed by High Streets (+30%) and Shopping Centres (+26%). 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 (28 Nov 2026) will be the biggest day for Peak Trading store visits, followed by Boxing Day (26 Dec 2026) and Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas (19 Dec 2026).
