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Top 3 Ways to Make Your Holiday Season a Data-Driven Success

October 2, 2025 | Carla Hinson, VP, Solutions & Innovation, MRI Software
4 min read
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The mornings have a crisp cool scent, the leaves are turning brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red, we’re all bathed in pumpkin spice… and you know what that means for retailers – time for the annual holiday panic!

But what if the thought of the holidays didn’t trigger a sense of dread? What if you could do a little planning now to help take away some of the holiday stress? In this article, I’ll walk you through the top three ways retailers can ensure a successful holiday season based on lessons from MRI Software’s foot traffic data.


There are many different sources of demographic information such as the census, traffic counts, surveys, social media, and even where a mobile phone “sleeps.” Demographic data from these sources can be an excellent way to understand where to put a retail location. But what happens once that location is open and operating? Retailers need a way to tell if the changes they make really impact their day-to-day operations.


Once a location is operational, the best way to understand capture rates and actual shopper demographics is by using camera-enabled foot traffic data. Using this data to understand what’s actually happening in the store – combined with the data sources above to understand the demographics around the location – gives you a more complete picture of not only expected results but also of how changes impact the actual outcome.


The recommendations below are based on foot traffic data – that is, data produced by measuring actual activities at a given location.


Holiday events are a must.

We’ve been conducting an experiment at MRI Software during 2025. We closely monitored the impact of the Oasis tour on foot traffic in local shopping areas. The results were unsurprising: Large events drive more foot traffic, which drives more sales. But how do these results translate into better planning for the holiday season?


First, you need to understand any large events that will happen near your location. Adjusting window displays and advertised specials to coincide with those large events is an excellent place to start. Holiday events such as tree lightings, school programs, concerts, and pop-up markets will help you take advantage of the increased foot traffic that comes with these large events.


Additionally, hosting events such as Santa meet-and-greets, holiday shopping hours, and pop-up kiosks for special products at your location can also drive foot traffic to your store. The shopping experience has become increasingly important for consumers, and these types of in-store events offer a different kind of experience that’s sure to help your bottom line.


Know your audience.

Having a strong understanding of your customers is critical to making sure that any action you take this season delivers the results you want. This is why it’s important to have more detailed data about what’s happening in your location as opposed to around it.


Camera-enabled foot traffic monitoring with AI technology gives you a more complete profile of the shoppers who enter your store - including dwell times, which show where customers are spending their time. The insights you gain help inform special advertising, ensuring your actual customer profile matches your target customer profile. You can then offer incentives to those most likely to frequent your location.


Decorate!

I know, I know – does decorating a window really make a difference? The good news is that you don’t need to take my word for it. Just look at the data.


Having access to granular data about who enters your store means that you can see how your capture rate varies when you make a change such as decorating a window for the holiday season. That is, are the people walking by your store actually entering?


Understanding your capture rate, along with your average transaction value (ATV), gives you a complete picture of the exact impact of window change on your business.


Driving results with foot traffic insights

Now, I’ve discussed a few quick wins based on foot traffic insights that make your holiday season less stressful. But let’s take a look at some real data to see what it tells us.


The table below shows year-over-year data for downtown Chicago collected by MRI OnLocation for Footfall Analytics during the 2024 holiday season. In December 2024, foot traffic showed a great year-over-year improvement, likely reflecting seasonal events happening in downtown Chicago. The results are also much better than the negative year-over-year results during most of November 2024.

While business improvement districts (BIDs) and downtowns can’t control the temperatures, it’s interesting to note that the December gains happened while Chicago’s weather was milder than normal, creating much better conditions for visiting shops and restaurants.


“Our seasonal activities draw crowds year after year,” says Michael Edwards, CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance. “We find that people want to celebrate the holiday season in an active fashion; they just need a little incentive to get outdoors. Events serve as that incentive.”


When you fully understand who’s really going into your locations, you’ll gain insights that help you shape more strategic retailing plans, drive additional holiday traffic, and build a stronger bottom line. To get started, visit MRI Software online to learn the right foot traffic technology for your business – and sign up to get free daily benchmarks by areas or regions, time periods, and more.

 

Carla Hinson, VP, Solutions & Innovation, MRI Software
Carla Hinson is Vice President of Solutions and Innovation, North America at MRI Software. She leads go-to-market strategy and is responsible for product management and development of the North America product suite encompassing mid-market to enterprise solutions. Carla has over 25 years of commercial, tenant, and retail PropTech experience. Before MRI, she was Executive Managing Director, GCS Global Technology for Newmark and served as a COO and Services Director for multiple consulting and software companies.

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MRI Software is a leading provider of real estate solutions and industry data that transform the way communities live, work and play. Its open, intelligent platform empowers owners, operators, agents and occupiers in commercial and residential property organizations to stay ahead in rapidly changing markets. For more information, please visit mrisoftware.com.