Latest ongoings at MiRewards
Saturday, 17th August
Believe it or not but for a long time retailers, eateries, pubs, and a few other Perth businesses have seen their busiest day land on a Friday. Tallying up Mi Points balances lets us see which days have the most transactions and the data can't lie. All the same it was a little unusual; in fact, it was starting to look as though the traditional Saturday rush has been replaced. Shopping trips etc. were becoming more common on Fridays.*
Well, it would seem that the summer holidays have changed that. We set our parameters to compare Mi Points data from the very first day of the Perth and Kinross school holidays till now. We then compared that with the same duration before the holidays.
At least in some Perth businesses, Saturdays have grown much more popular throughout the summer months. We can only hypothesise, but with the kids off school and work rota shifted around it could well be that people are finding it easier to pop into town during the weekend.
Compared to a similar length of time prior to the summer holidays, it looks as though the busiest day of the week has changed for retail, eateries, bars, and accommodation. In some individual cases, this change was substantial. However, even averaged across industries we still see the move from spending on Fridays to spending on Saturdays.
When we look at overall data for all 60+ Perth businesses that are part of the Mi Rewards programme this trend isn't so obvious. Overall the data suggests that would suggest Friday is still the busiest day overall but the results highlight an interesting shift in some key industries.
Some of this makes sense; entertainment venues will no doubt see more interest for Friday nights whilst pubs and eateries might see that behaviour spread between Friday and Saturday night (both traditionally a good time to plan something social as many won't have work the next day). A change in responsibilities or timetables could easily influence people to choose Saturday more often than Friday during the summer so at least here the behaviour can be explained.
We can't help but think that this change in behaviour is temporary (especially for retail). This simply leaves us scratching our heads all the more; what exactly is it that is making Fridays so popular for some throughout the rest of the year?
Mi Rewards are offered by a wide selection of Perth businesses (over sixty are part of the programme) so we can be sure that this trend is more than just a blip. Retail, in particular, used to set aside extra resources for Saturdays, sometimes scheduling in additional staff, working through lunch, or even extending opening hours. Is this a thing of the past? Does our data match what's happening on shop floors around the city? and if so could this mean that business owners/ managers might have to rethink their strategy and work schedules for the week?
What do you think is influencing this change? Do you yourself find yourself shopping differently now than you did, say, five years ago? We'd love to know what you think so feel free to leave a comment over on our Facebook or Twitter pages. We'd love to see what the general public thinks about this change in behaviour.
(Below you'll find the information from the data)
*Busiest day of the week Pre-Summer vs Summer Holidays by industry
Eateries, bars/pubs, and accommodation: Friday (pre) -> Saturday (holidays)
Retail: Friday (pre) -> Saturday (holidays)
Health, Beauty, and Wellbeing: Friday (pre) -> Friday/Saturday equal (holidays)
Entertainment: Friday (pre) -> Friday (holidays)
Buses/Travel: Friday (pre) -> Friday (holidays)
Monday, 3rd October
As a business owner, being a part of Mi Rewards just makes sense. Not only is it free and easy for businesses but it encourages customers to shop locally and loyally. When faced with a choice of which café to go into for their lunch, it’s the one where they can earn points that Mi […]
Monday, 3rd October
If you love to shop local and support the businesses where you live, chances are you’ve already signed up to Mi Rewards. With Mi Rewards, every time you grab a coffee with a friend, pop into that indie boutique to choose a present for a friend, or book tickets for a show, you’re earning points. […]
Friday, 27th September
People know to expect quality food at Willows Restaurant. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that their catering services are also proving increasingly popular. They’ve offered outside catering services in the past on a limited basis but the popularity of their food and hospitality is leading them to add more energy to […]
Wednesday, 25th September
We know it may seem a little early to be talking about Christmas but please bear with us. If you have children in your life this service from independent toy shop Fun Junction could well make the next few months a lot easier. You may not know this but Fun Junction actually offers a lay-away service. […]
Friday, 20th September
If you weren’t paying attention you could blink and miss this little hidden gem in the middle of Perth. A secret, secluded entrance blocks the way to your very own speakeasy (provided you call ahead and book). If you’re looking for a venue with a bit of mystery then we thoroughly recommend getting in touch […]