Observations of the behavior of nearly 1.5 million unique consumers across 710 shopping malls and centers reveal that footfall in these venues decreased by 3.5% in 2024 compared to 2023. Similarly, the number of unique shoppers dropped by over 3% year-on-year. Additionally, while the frequency of shopping visits remained stable compared to the previous year, the average visit duration shortened slightly, along with the total time spent in shopping centers.
According to a report by Proxi.cloud, a technology company, footfall in shopping centers fell by 3.5% year-on-year in 2024. The analysis was based on observations of 1.5 million customers across 710 venues. However, the report did not assess the turnover of retail outlets, which is not directly correlated with footfall or the number of shoppers.
Changing Consumer Habits
“The decline in footfall at shopping centers is not significant enough to be strongly felt by the retail industry. This phenomenon can largely be explained by changing shopping habits, such as the increased use of e-commerce platforms. Other factors could include reduced consumer spending or the growing product range offered by discount stores and large grocery chains,” commented Mateusz Nowak, one of the report’s co-authors from Proxi.cloud.
Public discussions have suggested that major sports events in 2024, such as the UEFA European Football Championship (June 14–July 14) and, to a lesser extent, the Summer Olympics (July 26–August 11), may have drawn consumers to shopping centers. Data from the report shows that the European Championship, especially matches involving the Polish team, likely contributed to a short-term increase in shopping center traffic in June. However, footfall declined in July and August, indicating that the Olympics had no clear positive impact on shopping center visits.
Regional Variations
Footfall increased year-on-year in four regions: Mazowieckie (up 5.5%), Świętokrzyskie (up 5.3%), Opolskie (up 2.5%), and Łódzkie (up 1.3%). Conversely, declines were noted in 12 regions, with the largest drops recorded in Warmińsko-Mazurskie (down 9.6%), Lubelskie (down 8.9%), and Podkarpackie (down 8.6%).
“The regional variation in footfall dynamics can be attributed to several factors that were not analyzed in detail in this report. These may include socio-economic differences across regions, random events such as renovations at some venues, or the uneven expansion of discount store chains,” explained Nowak.
Unique Shoppers and Shopping Habits
The report also showed a 3.1% decline in the number of unique shoppers visiting shopping centers in 2024 compared to 2023. According to the authors, this change is minor, similar to the footfall decline.
“Some customers may have stopped visiting shopping centers due to the growing popularity of e-commerce, which allows them to order many products with delivery. Others might have faced a sudden deterioration in their financial situation, leading them to forgo visiting these venues,” Nowak emphasized.
Unique shopper numbers increased slightly in two regions: Mazowieckie (up 0.3%) and Opolskie (up 0.1%). In contrast, 14 regions recorded year-on-year declines, with the largest drops in Warmińsko-Mazurskie (down 7.8%), Lubelskie (down 6.5%), and Podlaskie (down 5.3%).
“The variation in the decline of unique shoppers between regions could also depend on socio-economic factors, random events, and the uneven expansion of other retail networks,” added Mateusz Chołuj, the report’s co-author.
Stable Shopping Frequency and Shorter Visits
The report revealed that the average monthly number of visits per consumer in shopping centers remained unchanged at 3.2 visits in 2024. “This indicates stable shopping habits among customers who continue to frequent such venues. However, this frequency suggests that Poles likely purchase most of their daily necessities at other types of stores, such as discount retailers or through e-commerce services,” Nowak noted.
The analyses also found that the average visit duration in shopping centers decreased by 34 seconds year-on-year (2024: 47 minutes and 24 seconds, 2023: 47 minutes and 58 seconds). Additionally, the total time spent in these venues declined by nearly 1.5 minutes year-on-year (2024: 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds, 2023: 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 52 seconds).
“These annual changes in average visit duration and total time spent are negligible and should not significantly impact shopping center management. Moreover, there are indications from the market that while the total number of visits is decreasing, the average value of purchases during these visits is rising. Customers are making fewer visits but often spend more during each trip, which is beneficial for the retail outlets,” Chołuj summarized.
Methodology
The study was conducted by Proxi.cloud based on data from the full 12 months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, excluding holidays and non-trading Sundays. The analysis covered consumer behaviors in shopping malls and centers.
The sample included over 1,478,644 unique consumers. For an individual’s presence within a geofence to be recorded as a visit to a shopping center, the visit needed to last at least 2 minutes and no longer than 2 hours. A total of 710 venues were studied, with locations obtained from retail network websites and Google Maps.
Data was collected through a network of mobile applications using proprietary geofencing technology. This method identifies entries and exits from designated zones using mobile device location services. The technology enables passive data collection with high location accuracy (ranging from 2 to 20 meters depending on the device’s positioning method). Additionally, the time spent in specific locations is tracked, providing an extra layer of accuracy by excluding nearby pedestrian or employee traffic.
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