Working in retail? How big events change footfall and what to do about it

As a store manager or retail supervisor, you plan around paydays, school holidays and seasonal ranges. Big events are harder to plan for because they do not follow the retail calendar. A stadium concert or a major match can fill your street on a weekday, then empty it at exactly the hour you expected your after-work shoppers.

This guide looks at event days from the shop floor. It covers how footfall really changes, how to see it early, and what to do with your staff, stock, window and tills so the day works for you rather than against you.

What footfall looks like on an event day

More people on the street does not always mean more people in your shop. Event footfall has a few patterns worth knowing.

• Passing traffic with a purpose. Many visitors are heading somewhere at a fixed time. They will stop for something quick and useful, not for a long browse.
• A gap during the event. Once the crowd is inside the venue, nearby streets can go quiet.
• A surge after the finish. People leaving a venue often pass shops on their way to transport. Most stores near venues have closed by then, so if you are open, you may have the street to yourself.
• Visitors from outside the city. They need practical items: phone chargers, rain ponchos, water, painkillers, snacks, and sometimes clothing if the weather turns.
• Local shoppers avoid the area. Your regular customers may shop elsewhere or online on big event days to avoid crowds and busy trains.

Getting early warning

Head office may not flag local events, so it often falls to you.

• Know which venues sit within walking distance of your store and which stations your customers use.
• Check what is on at those venues for the coming weeks, including start and finish times.
• Watch for road closures and station changes. Crowd control can shut the entrance your customers normally use.
• Talk to neighbouring shops and your BID, if you have one. They often share notice of large events.
• Check the forecast. Weather changes what event visitors buy more than almost anything else.

A store manager's event routine

1. Two to three weeks out. Mark event days in your diary and in the store's communication book. Note the start time, finish time and whether it runs over several days.
2. The week before. Plan the rota and any extra stock orders. Ask your area manager whether opening hours can be extended if the finish time suits you.
3. The day before. Set up displays, check stock of key lines, and brief the team on timings and likely questions.
4. On the day. Watch the street. Adjust breaks and till cover as the crowd moves. Keep a note of when footfall rose and fell.
5. After the event. Compare sales and footfall with a normal day. Record what sold, what did not, and any security or queue issues.

Stock, staff and displays for event visitors

Stock what they need now

Put grab-and-go items near the door: drinks, snacks, chargers, umbrellas, sun cream or ponchos depending on the forecast. If you sell clothing, think about layers and accessories that suit the event and the weather.

Arrange the rota around the crowd

Schedule more till cover before the start and after the finish, with breaks in the quiet middle period. Make sure someone experienced is on the floor during the surges.

Use your window and signage

Clear signs help visitors who do not know the area. A sign saying you are open late, or pointing to a product they need, works better than a general promotion. Keep wording simple and readable from across the street.

Keep the shop safe

Busy days bring more shoplifting risk and more pressure at the door. Agree who covers security and how you will handle queues, and check with your security team in advance.

Look after locals

Let regular customers know which days are likely to be busy, and promote click and collect or quieter times for them.

Retail mistakes to avoid on event days

• Assuming a crowd means sales. If your products do not suit event visitors, a busy street may bring little extra trade. Decide what you can realistically sell.
• Closing just before the surge. Shutting at your usual time can mean missing the busiest hour of the day.
• Forgetting deliveries. Road closures can delay deliveries. Move them to the day before if you can.
• Not briefing the team. Staff who do not know an event is on cannot answer directions questions or plan their own journey home.
• Treating it as a one-off. Venues host similar events again and again. Keep notes so the next one is easier.

See event days coming without the manual search

Tracking events yourself takes time you rarely have. STREAM from ActDIvate lists upcoming events across London and the other cities STREAM covers, with a Demand Index score, predicted attendance, start times, multi-night runs and the share of visitors coming from outside the city. That helps you decide where extra staff and stock will pay off. To see how it would work for your store or region, book a demo.