Guest Contributors

Value-oriented retailers Five Below and Ollie's achieved exceptional Q2 2025 visit growth through aggressive store expansion while maintaining strong same-store performance, demonstrating the expanding market opportunity for value-oriented discretionary retail.

Summary: Gap Inc. showed real progress in Q2 2025, with overall visits up 3.6% year over year. Old Navy drove the gains with a 4.8% boost, while Gap posted positive traffic despite a smaller store base. A strong spring surge, partly fueled by tariff pull-forward, gave way to softer summer visits. Meanwhile, the return of middle-income shoppers signals that revitalization efforts are resonating. 

After steep declines in 2024, Best Buy’s (BBY) store traffic is showing signs of recovery in 2025. Short visits – boosted by BOPIS and major launches like the Nintendo Switch 2 – appear to be driving much of the momentum. 

Discover how three major players in the sports and activewear space – DICK’s, lululemon, and Academy Sports – are navigating current economic headwinds through strategic adaptation.

Discover how aggressive store expansions by Costco, BJ's, and now Sam's Club are fueling visit growth and sparking new regional competition.

Q2 2025 data shows how a bifurcated retail landscape is impacting mid-market retailers, as traffic to the Kohl's and Macy's banners fell while visits to Macy's luxury brands remained resilient.

Off-price apparel chains Burlington, Ross, and Citi Trends are thriving. Overall visits and same-store visits grew, driven by value-conscious shoppers. Customer loyalty is also up, particularly for Ross. This success is fueled by a treasure-hunt model that resonates with consumers.

In the first half of 2025, Home Depot and Lowe's faced visit declines, but trends moderated by July. Home Depot showed regional strength in the Midwest, while Lowe's accelerated its pivot to professional contractors to build a more resilient business model.