Although retailers and shoppers returned to more traditional patterns this holiday season, there may still be some surprises in store. Super Saturday, the busiest Saturday in December, usually falls within the last weekend before Christmas. However, with Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, retailers may need to adjust their plans to capitalize on the final push for the season.

This year, retail’s busiest Saturday in December is expected to be Dec. 17, leaving over a week between Super Saturday and Christmas. That one change caused a ripple effect in our predictions, knocking Super Saturday (which is traditionally the second-busiest day in the holiday season) down to the number four spot, and boosting Friday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Dec. 26 (Boxing Day), into the second and third spots respectively.

Here are some things retailers may want to keep in mind as Super Saturday approaches:

Planning labor for the holiday rush has always been somewhat challenging, but with this year’s shift in the calendar, retailers may have to change their approach even more than usual. Retailers will want to review their labor plans to ensure they’re accounting for increased traffic on the predicted days. Intelligence-led loss prevention and data-led labor optimization programs can support retailers as they devise plans to ensure every part of their operations will run smoothly between Dec. 17 and Christmas.

Despite consumers’ waning concerns about health and safety, “buy online, pick up in store” (BOPIS) options are likely to thrive on Super Saturday. According to Sensormatic Solutions 2022 U.S. Holiday Consumer Survey, 35% of shoppers plan to use BOPIS options, with 64% citing ease as their primary motivator. Understanding what products are in the store and where to find them will be crucial to timely BOPIS fulfillment when in-store traffic spikes. However, that’s not the only benefit item-level inventory can yield. It can also help keep customers satisfied with their in-store experiences. Many people will be heading to stores on Super Saturday to make purchases of specific items they’ve already identified as in stock on retailers’ websites.

This year’s shoppers are searching for the best deals—and that’s a big part of why they’re heading into stores. In our holiday consumer survey, 42% of shoppers said promotions would affect when they shop this holiday season.

Linking deals to BOPIS use may also yield some benefits this year. In a recent Sensormatic Solutions survey of consumers, 42% of respondents said that they take advantage of discounts on additional items when picking up a BOPIS order if the option was available. This indicates that retailers may be able to influence their traffic flow during the week between Super Saturday and Christmas by planning promotions and deals accordingly.

Although this year’s calendar deviates from the norm, it’s happened before. Reviewing historical data from 2016’s Super Saturday—the last time it fell on Dec. 17—will help retailers understand how their customer base shops. Much has changed in the past six years, so insights that are unique to a store’s location and community can offer helpful insight. Data and analytics that provide information on historical shopper demographics, shopper behavior, out-of-stocks, traffic patterns, and more will be invaluable to the process.

Retailers that invest in data and analytics suites will have access to that information on hand—even if those investments are more recent. Sensormatic IQ, for example, gives retailers access to Sensormatic Solutions’ vast proprietary data lake alongside retailer-collected and third-party data to ensure that retailers have everything they need to plan for a successful and streamlined Super Saturday.

To learn more about how Sensormatic Solutions is supporting retailers’ needs this holiday season, visit our Holiday Resources page. For more Sensormatic Solutions holiday insights use #SensormaticHolidays2022 to follow along on LinkedIn and Twitter.