Prepare for demand-driving events happening around Thanksgiving weekend
The holiday season is fast approaching and businesses all over the US are rapidly preparing for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a prime example of a public holiday that drives significant economic activity across the US. In 2022, consumer spending is expected to reach $125 billion throughout Thanksgiving weekend – which represents a 10% increase over 2021 despite rampant inflation, higher interest rates and the holiday shopping season starting earlier this year than in previous years.
According to the National Retail Federation, a record 166.3 million people are expected to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, up 8 million from 2021, which was also a record-breaking holiday shopping season despite ongoing supply chain challenges including shipping backlogs and product shortages.
And it’s not just retailers that see massive spikes in sales around this time of year. Grocery and supermarkets, restaurants, accommodation, and transportation providers know annual Thanksgiving events such as parades and craft fairs are sure to bring in an influx of customers, especially after many of these events were canceled in 2021 due to pandemic-fueled public safety concerns.
But what about those other events that you’re not aware of, but are driving significant spikes in demand? These less-obvious events may not be on your radar, but together, they compound demand impact – meaning, without taking these other events into consideration, your demand forecasts may miss the mark. Based on the predicted attendance of impactful events taking place, prepared businesses can make the most of these demand surges by fine-tuning staffing, inventory, and pricing to keep customers happy, and avoid missing a sale.
Increased demand impact combined with a high volume of events are causing demand surges in cities all over the US this Thanksgiving. Let’s take a look at some of these cities and how you can quickly identify these pockets of demand for your own business locations.
Tucson, Arizona sees surge in demand for most of November
Overall, there are 175 events in Tucson in November, with 30 of these events having a predicted attendance of 2,500+ attendees. For the first three weeks of November, particularly the week of November 13, Tucson, Arizona enjoyed significantly elevated event activity. However, it doesn’t end there as fairs, rodeo shows, and more continue to drive demand through the end of the month.
The most impactful events in Tucson this November include:
Many Mouths One Stomach All Souls Procession on Nov 4-6 with 150,000 attendees
Arizona State Sun Devils vs Arizona Wildcats on Nov 25 with 29,000 attendees
Oracle Plaza Art & Crafts Festival on Nov 18 with 21,000 attendees
NCAA Division I games such as Syracuse vs Bryant expecting over 29,000 attendees
Reid Park Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair on Nov 26 anticipating 10,000 attendees
PBR: Unleash the Beast Tour Rodeo on Nov 26 with 8,900 attendees
Green Valley Continental Plaza Show on Nov 18 with 6,000 attendees
Philadelphia's Thanksgiving demand surge
The arrival of the holiday season brings several large events to Philadelphia, compounding the impact of large sports and expos. There are 465 events in Philadelphia in November, with 67 of these having a predicted attendance of over 2,500. The highest-volume events in this demand surge include:
Christmas Village from Nov 19 onwards with 800,000 attendees
Philadelphia Marathon Weekend on Nov 19 – 20 drawing in 90,000 attendees
Arts Star Craft Bazaar on Nov 19 with 20,000 attendees
Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers on Nov 22 expecting 17,500 attendees
Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov 24 with 500,000 attendees
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers on Nov 25 with around 19,000 attendees
NCAA Division I Games such as Akron vs Mississippi State with a predicted attendance of around 14,000 attendees
Not all of these events are holiday-related, but prove to be impacting demand for both of these cities before, during, and after Thanksgiving weekend 2022. As a business, it’s critical to be aware of all events that are driving demand up and down for your various business locations, and to better understand how public holidays and other categories of events typically impact your bottom line.
Dive deeper into city-specific event details with our free monthly Event Index Report– an overview of which cities across the US are most impacted by events, scored per week on a scale of 1 to 20. Use the Event Index Report to quickly identify impactful events near your business locations, and prepare accordingly for their impact.
Forecast with precision this holiday season
These are just two examples of cities with surges of demand expected around the holiday season. With PredictHQ, you can easily get a detailed look at what events are happening within close proximity to your locations of interest making demand intelligence the gift that keeps on giving. Stay prepared for the holiday season and beyond with demand insights specific to your business locations. Sign up for your free PredictHQ account today to track up to 3 locations for free, forever.
