Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Turkey Wednesday 2020

by 
Ethan Chernofsky
 on 
November 30, 2020
Turkey Wednesday 2020

When we think of the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ our minds rightfully drift to Christmas, Thanksgiving, and maybe for the truly shopping-minded, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But lost in the shuffle is a key day in the grocery calendar: Turkey Wednesday. On that day, shoppers across the country hurry to their local grocery store to get the last-minute needs for an ideal Thanksgiving meal.

From the moment we identified this pillar of the supermarket calendar, we tracked it to see how different trends and events could impact its position. And no year has been as fraught with uncertainty as 2020. 

So how did Turkey Wednesday play out in 2020?

Visits Down

Comparing Turkey Wednesday in 2020, on November 25th, to its 2019 equivalent saw a significant decline in visits. Analyzing eight of the most significant grocery chains showed an average decline of 7.8% compared to Wednesday, November 27th, 2019. And while this shouldn’t necessarily come as a shock, it does indicate that shopping patterns are still not fully stabilized, something likely supported by a resurgence of cases in the US.

How Far Did It Fall?

And while visits were clearly far from their normal peak, there are interesting takeaways that come from looking more deeply at several key brands. In 2018, Turkey Wednesday was the highest-traffic day for Albertsons and the second highest in 2019. Yet, in 2020, Turkey Wednesday dropped to the 3rd biggest day of the year overall passed by several days in the grocery surge that took place in early March. And this is before the pre-Christmas rush that could push it further down the list. Nonetheless, the day still marked a significant peak with visits up 92.0% above the daily baseline for the period from January 2018 through November 27th, 2020.

A similar trend was seen with Kroger for whom Turkey Wednesday was the most visited day in 2018 and 2019. Visits on the day, while still 63.0% above the daily baseline for the period from January 1st, 2018 through November 27th, 2020, made it just the 2nd most visited day in 2020 thus far.

Yet, Publix still saw its usual pre-Thanksgiving buzz. For this supermarket chain, visits were 74.8% above the baseline for the period, allowing it to retain its status as the highest-trafficked day for the grocery brand.

A Unique Shopping Trend

But however you slice it, Turkey Wednesday was less significant than the years prior - and the reason why could be hugely significant for the wider retail landscape. While visits on Turkey Wednesday were down an average of nearly 8% for these eight grocery brands, the picture was far different in the days that preceded it. Visits to these same chains on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving were actually up 1.7%. Kroger and Publix saw visits up 4.1% and 1.3% respectively on those days, while Wegmans saw a massive swing from visits down 18.5% year over year on Turkey Wednesday to down just 4%, the Monday and Tuesday that preceded it.

And this matters a lot.

Brands are seeing a customer base that is likely more prepared than normal, with mission-driven shopping pushing more visitors to require fewer visits. This makes many customers less reliant on a desperate last-minute dash to the supermarket the day before a major holiday. And the weekly visit data for these brands supports that idea. All the brands measured saw strong and steady visit improvements in the weeks ahead of Thanksgiving indicating that more people preparing earlier than usual.

And while the lack of a full travel season likely helped, it is clear that shopping behavior shifts seen earlier in the pandemic are lingering especially as case numbers rise. 

Big Takeaway

This leads to a very important conclusion - brands across retail must be ready for a dilution of traffic away from major shopping days as they shift to a more distributed mix. This could actually provide a major benefit for those brands that have prepared for this eventuality, though could impact others that are more reliant on single spikes.

Will this trend continue? Visit Placer.ai to find out.

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
How Will Primark’s US Expansion Impact Target?
All Eyes on Eyewear
Northwestern U.S. Grocery Dive
Return of the Lunch: Salad Chains Are Thriving
Retail Media Networks – Off the Beaten Track
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Discount and Dollar Stores Drive Foot Traffic
Ulta & Lululemon: Discretionary Spending On The Up
The Score After Q1: Sporting Goods Chains
Who Uses NYC Airports: Biting Into The Big Apple’s Main Transport Hubs
Off Price: Strength in The Face of Retail Challenges
Visits Improve for Home Improvement
Walmart, Target & Wholesalers in Q1 2023 – The Return of Mission-Driven Shopping?
Department Store Roundup: Q1 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index, April 2023 – A Rebound on the Horizon?
How Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bankruptcy Impact the Retail Space?
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
Thrift Stores: Vintage Visits Drive New Age in Apparel
The Windy City: A Hub of Post-Pandemic Opportunity
Diving into Dining Traffic - Q1 2023
Bring On The Joe
A Dollar (or more) For Your Thoughts: Five Below and pOpshelf
Dining Out With The Cheesecake Factory
Retail Foot Traffic Recap – March 2023
Digging Into 2023: McDonald’s and Chipotle Update
Placer.ai Office Index: March 2023 Recap
How Did Key Retail Categories Perform in Q1 2023?
Northeastern USA Grocery Dive
Movie Theaters Storylines for 2023
Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Discounters are Evolving
Leveraging Brick-and-Mortar Retail in 2023
America’s Evolving Work Patterns: A Deep-Dive into New York and Chicago
Placer.ai Mall Index March 2023
Tuning Into Record Stores
Five Franchises To Watch in 2023
What’s Next For Domestic Tourism?
It’s Showtime! Movie Theaters in the Spotlight
5 Limited Time Offers (LTOs) Driving Restaurant Traffic
Department Store Deep-Dive: Belk
Regional Grocery Chains Staying Ahead of the Competition
Five Chains that Rightsized for Success
Unlocking the Potential of Offline Retail Media Networks
Dining Out With Darden
What’s in Store for Self-Storage?
Nike & lululemon Update: Strong Performance Amid Expansion Plans
Many Ways to Win: Midwest Grocery Deep Dive
Retail, Reinvented: The Rise of the Pop-Up Shop
Navigating a New Normal in Business Travel & Commutes
Placer.ai Office Index: February 2023 Recap
Retail Categories Staying Strong in Volatile Environment
Ulta Beauty: Poised for Success into 2023
Placer.ai Mall Index February 2023: Reasons for Continued Optimism
Catching Up With DICK’s & Hibbett
The Miami-Dade Arena: An Advertising Slam Dunk
Car Washes Revving Up Visits
Tuesday Morning and Sunrises in Home Furnishing
Dining & Valentine’s Day Recap
2023: The Year of the Discount Store
Aldi’s Success Highlights Growing Demand for Value Groceries
5 Retail & Service Categories Holding onto Pandemic Gains in 2023
Visitor Insights from Super Bowl 2023
2023 First Look: Home Improvement Update
How Are Target, Walmart, and Wholesale Clubs Faring in 2023?
Department Store Deep-Dive: Nordstrom
Off-Price: Taking Off in Uncertain Times
Checking in On Middle-Class Hubs
Who Attends the Super Bowl?
Placer.ai Office Index: January 2023 Recap
Focusing On Fitness: Q4 and January Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: January 2023 – Returning Mall Normalcy?
Location Intelligence Insights Into Concert Attendance
Winning Dining Strategies for 2023
In-N-Out Burger: What to Expect as the Brand Moves East
Location Intelligence Breakdown: Coffee Caps-Off 2022
Digitally Native Brands Lean Into Brick & Mortar
Washington, D.C. Population Changes & Migration Trends
A Location Intelligence Perspective on Macy’s Rightsizing
Amazon-Powered Shopping: The Future of Brick-and-Mortar Grocery?
Cold Weather, Hot Visits: Diving into Winter Resorts
Wawa and 7-Eleven: Leaning Into the “Slurpee Effect”
2022 and Beyond: Catching Up With McDonald’s & Chipotle
Let’s Have Some Fun! Going Out Is In
Placer.ai’s Q4 2022 Quarterly Index
Placer.ai Adds Industry Executives to Leadership Team To Drive Company's Next Phase of Growth
5 Emerging Retail Formats: 2023’s Brick-and-Mortar Evolution
Grocery Update: Zooming in on the Lone Star State
2022 Office Recap: The Year of the TGIF Work Week
What Lies Ahead for Brick-and-Mortar Luxury in 2023
Placer.ai Mall Indexes: December 2022 Recap
Looking Back on 2022’s Holiday Shopping Season
Post-Pandemic Migration Trends in New York
Top Retailers for 2023
The Live Sports Advertising Opportunity
Domestic Migration to the Mountain States: Small Shifts with Big Implications
New Year, New Food: 5 Dining Trends For 2023
Announcing Placer.ai’s COVID RECOVERY DASHBOARD
This is Why Shop-in-Shops Are Everywhere
Super Saturday 2022 Recap
The San Francisco Shift
Grocery Year-End Update: Publix in the Spotlight