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Brick-and-Mortar Retail Visits Up for 7th Month in a Row
Brick-and-mortar retail foot traffic continues to demonstrate notable resilience despite rising gas prices and broader macroeconomic uncertainty, with April 2026 marking the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year (YoY) gains. March's relative softness now looks like the product of calendar shifts rather than the start of a structural decline – retail visits essentially held last year's levels despite one fewer Saturday and store closures for Easter. And April's subsequent rebound reinforces that underlying consumer demand remains intact, with shoppers continuing to show up to physical stores even as they contend with elevated prices at the pump and an uncertain economic backdrop.
Traffic to Ecommerce Distribution Centers Surged in April
But the real star of April's consumer data was Placer's Ecommerce Distribution Index, which registered a massive 20.5% YoY increase in foot traffic, following an already strong 16.3% gain in March – likely driven in part by elevated gas prices nudging some consumers online.
The traffic data indicates that both physical and digital retail grew simultaneously despite historically weak consumer sentiment – suggesting that consumers are saying one thing and doing another, and that underlying demand may be more durable than the headlines suggest.
Industrial Foot Traffic Softens Slightly in April 2026
Meanwhile, manufacturing foot traffic came under renewed pressure in April 2026 following two months of tentative stabilization. This softness in physical activity persists despite a wave of headline-grabbing investment announcements: private-sector U.S. manufacturing commitments have surpassed $1.6 trillion and Q1 2026 industrial net absorption rose 52% YoY, the strongest start to a year since 2023. The disconnect reflects a fundamental shift underway – leasing demand is increasingly concentrated in automation-ready, high-clearance facilities, meaning more square footage is being absorbed with fewer workers walking through the door.
For more retail and CRE insights, visit placer.ai/anchor
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