The state of local retail 2020: Alaska.
We analyzed transactions for every day of the 2019 calendar year at over 40,000 local retail businessses across the United States, including Alaska. The result is a comprehensive look at when local retail businesses make the most money, when they process the most transactions, and when customers tend to spend a little extra when they're out shopping.
The impact of COVID-19 on Alaska retail businesses.
2020 has been a challenge for local businesses across the U.S., and there's no question that local retailers across the state of Alaska have faced unprecidented challenges all year.
So before we take a look back at 2019, it's important to keep in mind the impact that COVID-19 has had on local retailers across the state. According to our data, the average Alaska retail business saw total consumer spending from April through October, 2020 drop 10% compared to the same timeframe in 2019. Additionally, 14% of retailers in the state of Alaska that were transacting before the pandemic hit are closed as of the last week of October.
Our research has shown that some types of retail businesses have fared quite well during the pandemic (sporting goods stores, home improvement stores, etc.), while others (clothing stores, book stores, etc.) have struggled. Whether a local retail business has struggled or thrived through 2020, this report gives insight on which days and months will be extra important for retailers in this unpredictable year.
What we learned about local retail sales in Alaska.
Alaska is the 1st-ranked state for average retail revenue in the United States, pulling in 38% more in daily revenue than the national average on a given day.
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How much do retail shops in Alaska make on an average day?
On a given day, retail shops in Alaska brought in $1,348 in revenue. On a typical day, the average retail business also processed about 17 transactions while seeing customers spend an average of $78.71 per ticket.
| Sales revenue | Transactions | Ticket size |
| $1,348 | 17 | $78.71 |
| National Rank: 1 | National Rank: 2 | National Rank: 19 |
What days of the week are retail shops in Alaska busiest?
Fridays and Saturdays are busy at retail shops across the country, and things were no different for Alaska retail businesses.
Fridays were particularly big, as 19% of all retail revenue in Alaska came in on that day alone. On the other hand, Sunday was the slowest day of the week for Alaska retail shops, with 7% of revenue coming in on that day.
Saturday was the busiest day of the week in terms of foot traffic, with Alaska retail businesses processing an average of 22 transactions per day.
Alaskans spend more per transaction on weekdays, with Fridays claiming the largest average ticket size of the week at $84.65 per ticket. Locals are the most frugal on Sundays, when they spent an average of $24.66 less than on Fridays.
What time of year do retail shops in Alaska make the most money?
Alaskans clearly love to shop regardless of the season, but what does the average year look like from week to week at retail shops in Alaska? Let's take a look.
The holiday shopping season was huge for retail shops across the country, and things were no different in the Last Frontier. December is the biggest month of the year overall and 3 of the top 10 weeks of the year fell during the holiday shopping season.
Top 5 days for Alaska retail businesses.
The holidays was massive for retail shops in Michigan, accounting for each of the top five days of the year. The holidays was also big for local retail businesses in Michigan, accounting for five top days as well.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
12/23/19 |
12/16/19 |
12/20/19 Weekend before Christmas |
12/24/19 Christmas Eve |
12/21/19 Weekend before Christmas |
| Monday | Monday | Friday | Tuesday | Saturday |
Alaska retail shops on prominent days.
Retail shops look to events and holidays to generate big sales for their business. Here’s how prominent days rank compared to the average day.
| Day rank based on total sales | How much did restaurants that were open make? | ||||||||
| Day | Day Rank | Total rev vs avg | % of restaurants open | Avg rev | Rev vs avg | Avg txns | Txns vs avg | Avg ticket | Ticket vs avg |
| New Year's Day | 365 | -93% | 26% | $272 | -80% | 6 | -68% | $49.17 | -38% |
| Super Bowl Sunday | 361 | -72% | 44% | $683 | -49% | 12 | -29% | $55.96 | -29% |
| Valentine's Day | 91 | 18% | 75% | $1,671 | 24% | 22 | 31% | $74.54 | -5% |
| St. Patrick's Day | 324 | -44% | 49% | $1,217 | -10% | 19 | 12% | $63.24 | -20% |
| Easter Weekend | 101 | 16% | 88% | $1,405 | 4% | 19 | 12% | $73.11 | -7% |
| Easter Weekend | 36 | 37% | 72% | $2,029 | 51% | 27 | 58% | $74.89 | -5% |
| Easter Sunday | 364 | -92% | 23% | $360 | -73% | 9 | -47% | $39.35 | -50% |
| Cinco de Mayo | 338 | -53% | 61% | $818 | -39% | 15 | -10% | $53.30 | -32% |
| Mother's Day Weekend | 27 | 43% | 98% | $1,544 | 15% | 23 | 32% | $68.39 | -13% |
| Mother's Day Weekend | 23 | 47% | 86% | $1,816 | 35% | 26 | 55% | $68.67 | -13% |
| Mother's Day | 339 | -53% | 56% | $887 | -34% | 16 | -4% | $53.83 | -32% |
| Memorial Day Weekend | 32 | 41% | 96% | $1,556 | 16% | 19 | 10% | $82.61 | 5% |
| Memorial Day Weekend | 212 | -3% | 72% | $1,433 | 6% | 20 | 19% | $70.54 | -10% |
| Memorial Day | 345 | -56% | 53% | $884 | -34% | 15 | -11% | $57.92 | -26% |
| Father's Day Weekend | 62 | 27% | 95% | $1,428 | 6% | 19 | 9% | $76.35 | -3% |
| Father's Day Weekend | 97 | 17% | 81% | $1,537 | 14% | 22 | 27% | $70.97 | -10% |
| Father's Day | 337 | -53% | 53% | $961 | -29% | 19 | 10% | $50.83 | -35% |
| 5th of July | 359 | -67% | 42% | $828 | -39% | 16 | -4% | $50.30 | -36% |
| Labor Day Weekend | 30 | 41% | 95% | $1,587 | 18% | 21 | 22% | $76.09 | -3% |
| Labor Day Weekend | 105 | 14% | 79% | $1,540 | 14% | 25 | 45% | $62.10 | -21% |
| Labor Day | 318 | -38% | 58% | $1,137 | -16% | 21 | 24% | $53.62 | -32% |
| Halloween | 154 | 6% | 77% | $1,467 | 9% | 19 | 13% | $75.77 | -4% |
| Thanksgiving Eve | 86 | 20% | 81% | $1,580 | 17% | 15 | -10% | $102.78 | 31% |
| Thanksgiving | 362 | -86% | 26% | $589 | -56% | 12 | -33% | $51.03 | -35% |
| Christmas Eve | 4 | 103% | 77% | $2,794 | 107% | 30 | 74% | $93.84 | 19% |
| Christmas Day | 363 | -91% | 18% | $536 | -60% | 8 | -53% | $67.05 | -15% |
| New Year's Eve | 76 | 24% | 77% | $1,704 | 27% | 17 | -2% | $101.61 | 29% |
Methodology
Womply analyzed daily revenue for over 40,000 retail shops in all 50 states, including Alaska, as well as the District of Columbia for all 365 days of the 2019 calendar year. Retail businesses were only included in the analysis if they qualified as small businesses, Womply had a full year of transaction history, and the business recorded multiple transactions per day, on average.