Saturday after three: reading till drop-off
Many high-street banners see baskets fall after mid-afternoon. Here is how we draw that pattern without blaming the wrong team.
Saturday trading often looks healthy until someone slices the day. Footfall stays lively; paid baskets thin out after three. The easy story is “staffing”. Sometimes that story is true. Sometimes the leak sits earlier — fitting rooms, size availability, or a promo that pulls the wrong shopper into the queue.
Split the afternoon on the board
When we draw a store funnel for RidgePoint Portal clients, we often split Saturday into before and after 15:00. Two columns. Same stages. Different heights.
Managers who argued all spring about cover levels suddenly see whether the drop starts at arrival, at fitting rooms, or at the till itself.
Pair the picture with one floor walk
Numbers alone still mislead. We ask a store lead to walk the floor during the weak window and note queue length, fitting-room waits, and empty size runs. The board and the walk notes travel together into the regional meeting.
What we refuse to do
We will not average the whole Saturday into a single cheerful conversion rate that hides the afternoon cliff. Loud boards exist to show the cliff.