Articles

Planet Fitness visits rose 6.7% year over year in Q3. See where same-store traffic grew and which region lagged.

McDonald’s October promotions drove its busiest weeks of 2026, even as visits trailed last year. See how gas prices shaped traffic.

CAVA’s Q3 visits climbed 16.3% YoY as the chain kept expanding. Find out how Portillo’s returned to same-store growth on a very different schedule.

Denny’s and IHOP narrowed their visit declines in Q3 2026 while Waffle House kept growing. See the strength each legacy breakfast chain can build on.

Taco Bell visits fell 10.1% YoY in Q3 2026 after the cyclospora outbreak. See how quickly the chain bounced back, and how KFC and Habit did.

Casual dining visits rose just 0.2% in Q3 2026, yet four chains posted strong growth. Find out what each is getting right.

Luxury high-street corridors experienced their busiest summers in four years in 2026. Find out how holiday crowds are set to reshape their audience.

Sprouts’ same-store visits rebounded to roughly flat in Q3 2026. Find out which markets held up best, and why.

After a post-pandemic boom, beauty’s growth has cooled in 2025 – but new cultural and experiential forces are emerging. Ulta’s K-Beauty World taps into America’s love for Korean skincare, while personalized experiences like Lip Lab are bringing diverse shoppers back to retail.

Liquor store visits remain far above 2019 levels despite slowing national growth. Regional patterns reveal Florida, Texas, and parts of the South as emerging BevAlc hubs, while California and the Northeast see declines, signaling strategic opportunities for targeted retail investment.

Retail in 2025 is being redefined by omnichannel convergence, creative merchandising, and tech-driven convenience. Walmart’s 4.5% sales growth underscores its edge over Amazon, while warehouse clubs modernize and grocers uncover new merchandising plays. The winners? Those adapting fastest to a constantly shifting retail landscape.

In 2025, Beyond, Inc. and The Brand House Collective will rebrand 250–275 Kirkland’s stores as Bed Bath & Beyond Home. Despite softer digital and traffic trends, modest same-store visit gains at Kirkland's suggest potential for renewed growth for the chain.