Our US Monthly Retail Traffic and In-Store Metrics Report reviews year-over-year changes in selected store-based metrics, including sales, traffic and conversion rates. US store-based traffic and sales declined in February, while the conversion rate grew 0.4 percentage points, according to RetailNext. Average transaction value (ATV) grew 1.8%, slower than the 5.5% growth reported in January. The rate of product returns grew 0.1 percentage points in February, after declining 2.4 percentage points in January.

• Retail traffic recorded a 7.3% decline year over year in February, easing from the 10.7% decline in December.
• Shopper yield (sales divided by traffic) grew 2.7% year over year in February following a notably strong 7.5% increase in January.

The data for February (which includes a few days in early March) showed that performance varied over the course of the four weeks: March 2 performed best for sales, while February 16 was the best for traffic. Traffic performed best within the first two weeks of the month in preparation for Valentine’s Day, when traffic was down only 4%. In the last three weeks of the month, net sales declined only 3%, while conversion rates, ATV and shopper yield increased year over year. Conversion rate, ATV and shopper yield showed year-over-year positive changes for the second consecutive month. ATV continued a six-month streak of positive year-over-year trend. Traffic was slower on President’s Day weekend, with declines of 5.7%. All regions posted sales and traffic declines in February compared to the same period last year. The Midwest registered the largest year-over-year decline in traffic of all regions at 9.2%, due to severe weather conditions (the region had its coldest February since 1966). The south experienced the lowest decline in traffic, at 6.3%. The Midwest also recorded the largest year-over-year in-store sales decline among all regions, down 8.5%, whereas the south reported the smallest decline, down 2.5%. [caption id="attachment_81099" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Conv. = conversion rate, ATV = average transaction value, SY = shopper yield, Tran. = number of transactions and %
Return = percentage of goods returned to stores
Source: RetailNext[/caption]