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Super Saturday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, sees stores bustling with last-minute shoppers searching for gifts and holiday essentials. But how did this year's event measure up – and what trends and surprises emerged? We analyzed the data to find out.
On December 21st, 2024 retail foot traffic across the U.S. surged by 58.0% compared to the year-to-date daily average – reaffirming Super Saturday’s status as the ultimate day for eleventh-hour gift shopping. And in another sign that holiday season shopping has evolved into a multi-day affair, the pre-Christmas milestone once again outpaced Black Friday, with the shopping momentum extending throughout the weekend.
Despite this year’s strong performance, 2024’s Super Saturday spike didn’t quite match last year’s extraordinary showing (+74.4% above the 2023 daily average) – a predictable shortfall, given 2023’s unique confluence of circumstances, when Super Saturday coincided with “Christmas Eve Eve” (December 23rd). But with Sunday’s strong consumer turnout this year, and Monday, December 23rd offering even more opportunities for consumers to hit the stores, 2024’s pre-Christmas traffic could well surpass last year’s final tally.
Though Super Saturday outperformed Black Friday nationwide, the resonance of the milestone varied by region. In most of the Midwest – a traditional Black Friday hot spot – as well as Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee, Black Friday drew bigger visit spikes than the Saturday before Christmas. But in the majority of states, including major Pacific and Mountain region markets, Super Saturday visits outpaced the post-Thanksgiving frenzy.
Diving into specific retail categories shows that Super Saturday’s impact also differed across segments.
Department stores emerged in 2024 as clear Super Saturday winners, with December 21st visits to the category soaring a remarkable 128.7% compared to an average Saturday this year – up from 119.4% in 2023 and 101.1% in 2022. Recreational & sporting goods, beauty & self care, hobbies, gifts & crafts, clothing, and shopping centers also delivered impressive Super Saturday performances, with relative visit boosts approaching, or in some cases even exceeding those seen last year.
Superstores, discount & dollar stores, and grocery stores, for their parts – all food-oriented segments that typically see significant visit boosts on the day before Christmas Eve – were especially impacted by last year’s Super Saturday/December 23rd “double whammy”. So unsurprisingly, their Super Saturday visit boosts were noticeably smaller this year. Electronics stores also saw a more moderate Super Saturday boost in 2024, perhaps due to this year’s more extended window for online shopping between Super Saturday and Christmas.
Still, all the analyzed categories saw bigger relative Super Saturday visit peaks than in 2022, when the milestone fell a full week before Christmas (December 17th), leaving shoppers plenty of time to place orders online or hit the stores during the following week.
Indeed, despite competing with last year’s “double whammy”, several department store brands saw significant year-over-year (YoY) Super Saturday visit growth – including Nordstrom (8.8%), Bloomingdales (4.7%), and JCPenney (1.3%). And the fun wasn’t limited to the department store sector: Other important gift-buying destinations, such as Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (7.3%), T.J. Maxx (4.6%), and Five Below (4.2%), also saw substantial YoY foot traffic increases – underscoring retail’s resilience in what remains a challenging environment.
While Black Friday remains the traditional kickoff for the holiday shopping frenzy, Super Saturday has carved out a prestigious role of its own. With strong national foot traffic, standout regional performances, and category-specific surprises, it’s clear that Super Saturday is more than just an encore – it’s a headliner in its own right. How will retail foot traffic continue to unfold during the tail end of 2024?
Follow Placer.ai’s data driven retail analyses to find out.
As prime destinations for everything from ready-made meals to affordable treats, today’s c-stores are a far cry from the pit stops of yesteryear. But how has the segment performed in recent months – and what lies ahead for it in 2025? We dove into the data to find out.
The c-store segment has undergone a transformation in recent years as many category leaders significantly elevated their food, beverage, and experiential offerings, leaning into growing demand for affordable, convenient groceries and takeaway. Today, convenience stores can often be exciting destinations in their own rights – and eager customers are paying attention.
Analyzing visitation trends to c-stores highlights just how successful this reinvention has been for the category. Monthly c-store visits have surged past the segment’s pre-pandemic baseline, with November 2024 c-store traffic 15.5% higher than in November 2018.
Still, the data also indicates that growth has plateaued – year-over-year (YoY) traffic for the c-store segment has remained relatively flat in 2024, with November 2024 visits down 3.3% YoY. But diving into the individual chains’ visitation patterns reveals that many chains, including Buc-ee’s, Circle K, Kwik Trip, Maverik, and are outperforming the wider segment and continuing to see impressive YoY growth – in large part thanks to aggressive expansions.
Looking at the most visited c-store chain in each CBSAs out of the chains analyzed in the graph above reveals that most CBSAs are home to a growing c-store chain. Maverik gets the most visits in the Southwest, while Kwik Trip’s is more popular in the Midwest. Buc-ees has a stronghold on the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, while Circle K receives traffic all over the country. This suggests that demand for c-store offerings are growing nationwide – despite the plateauing of category-wide visits – and that c-store brands that can offer consumers innovative products and experiences are well-positioned to continue thriving in 2025 and beyond.
C-stores have demonstrated incredible resilience and adaptability, cementing their roles as key destinations for price-conscious shoppers eager to stretch their dollars – without compromising on quality. With regional markets still brimming with opportunities, which chains will lead the way in redefining convenience for 2025?
For more data-driven consumer insights, visit placer.ai.
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A decade after declaring bankruptcy, Detroit is coming back to life. The city is experiencing a resurgence that is bringing new energy to its streets – and an increase in the population of the wider CBSA.
We took a look at some of the data points highlighting the return of the Motor City to better understand what is driving the city’s growth.
Detroit is making a comeback – undergoing a transformation from a depressed city to a viable and exciting place to live and work. Between July 2022 and July 2023, the city’s population grew for the first time in 66 years, likely thanks to economic revitalization efforts, a thriving tech scene, and a newfound “cool factor” driving inbound migration. And looking at more recent numbers for the wider CBSA indicates that the trend is continuing – net migration to the Detroit-Warren-Dearborne CBSA was either neutral or positive every month between January and August 2024.
This sustained net migration suggests that this growth is not a one-off – Detroit is increasingly becoming a place recognized for the opportunities it offers, economic and otherwise.
Diving into the CBSAs feeding Detroit’s domestic migration boom reveals that many of the Motor City’s newest residents are coming from other areas in Michigan. Between May 2023 and May 2024, the top five feeder CBSAs for migration to Detroit were located in the Wolverine State, accounting for over a third (35.4%) of new Detroit residents. The influx of Michiganders into Detroit may mean that Detroit’s new residents come with an already strong regional identity and are invested in continuing to revitalize Detroit.
The data also reveals that many of Detroit’s new residents came from areas with higher median household incomes (HHI) than the city’s: Around 33.8% of incoming residents came from areas where the median HHI was $100K and up, compared to just 31.6% of Detroit residents in that HHI bracket. The influx of higher-income residents to the area highlights just how well Detroit has reinvented itself, becoming an increasingly desirable destination for wealthier individuals – a positive feedback loop that could continue driving its economic growth.
Detroit has been known by many names over the years – Motown, Detroit Rock City, The Paris of the West – and today, it’s earning a new title: the Comeback City. With a positive economic outlook, steady population growth, and a thriving cultural scene, the future looks bright for Detroit.
Stay up to date with the latest data-driven civic insights at Placer.ai.
Chicken restaurants have seen a huge surge in popularity over the past few years, from the epic Chicken Wars of 2021 to the impressive stateside success of international chains. And analyzing recent data indicates that fried chicken concepts are likely to continue as a top growth segment in 2025 as well.
We dove into the visit numbers to see how the segment is faring and highlighted some of the chains making the biggest splash.
In a dining segment that’s faced its fair share of challenges of late, chicken restaurant chains are standing out. Visits to QSR and fast-casual chicken chains consistently outperformed the wider fast-casual and QSR segments in terms of YoY visits, with the chicken category seeing a 4.3% YoY traffic boost in Q3 2024.
As diners continue to prioritize convenient and affordable meals in the face of continued economic uncertainty, chicken-centric restaurants – which offer both value and speed – seem well-positioned to continue thriving.
Diving into the visitation data for some of the category’s chicken leaders reveals that many of the bigger names in the game are not only growing their storefleet – they’re also continuing to drive more visits to each location.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and Church’s Texas Chicken each attract millions of visits to their brick-and-mortar location every month – and traffic is steadily growing thanks to the three chains' expanding footprint. And location analytics reveal that these brands are also seeing strong growth in monthly visits per location – highlighting the impressive demand for fried chicken and showcasing these companies’ ability to grow their consumer base through fleet expansions.
Another indication of the fried chicken market’s continued growth potential comes from the success of smaller brands flourishing alongside the category leaders. Chains like Pollo Campero, Urban Bird Hot Chicken, Layne’s Chicken Fingers, and Super Chix may not be competing with industry leaders yet – but their impressive YoY visit growth highlights consumers’ current appetite for fried chicken franchises.
The four analyzed chains enjoyed strong monthly visits in 2024 relative to 2023, with November 2024 visits elevated between 13.1% and 29.1% YoY.
Whether these smaller chains are fueling their growth by offering an innovative twist on the traditional fried bird or benefiting from homegrown loyalty, the bottom line remains clear. Despite operating in a market that's getting more crowded by the day, there's ample opportunity for new players to throw their feathered caps in the ring.
The fried chicken segment remains a high-demand category, evidenced by the segment’s strong visit performance over the past year. With fried chicken chains continuing to expand across the country, will they maintain their visit dominance? Or will the cluck stop somewhere?
Visit Placer.ai to stay up-to-date with the latest data-driven dining insights.
Darden Restaurants Inc. is the largest full-service restaurant group in the country, operating ten dining chains that range from fine dining to casual bars.
How has the company fared in recent months? We examined the location analytics to evaluate Darden’s recent performance and took a closer look at what the holiday season might bring for its wide array of brands.
The full-service restaurant category has faced significant challenges in recent years as rising food prices, labor shortages, and inflation pushed costs up and some customers away. But since the beginning of 2024, Darden has managed to stay ahead and outpace the wider full-service restaurant segment in terms of year-over-year (YoY) quarterly visits. Q3 2024 visits were 0.9% higher than in Q3 2023. In contrast, the broader full-service segment experienced a 1.9% decline in the same period.
As restaurant inflation finally begins to cool and the dining segment tiptoes cautiously toward recovery, Darden’s ability to stay ahead of the competition suggests that its brands are resonating with customers even during periods of economic uncertainty.
Darden’s portfolio runs the gamut from household names like Olive Garden (with over 900 locations) and LongHorn Steakhouse (over 500 locations) to smaller chains like Yard House and Bahama Breeze. And zooming in on the recent November data reveals that most chains are still enjoying year-over-year (YoY) visit growth. Yard House led the pack with 11.0% more visits than in November 2023, followed by LongHorn Steakhouse (9.0% YoY growth), and Bahama Breeze (8.8% YoY growth).
This steady November momentum bodes well for Darden as the typically busy holiday season approaches.
Indeed, diving into previous years’ visitation patterns reveals that Darden’s brands generally receive sizable visit bumps over the holiday season.
Analyzing December visits in 2019, 2022, and 2023 relative to each year’s January to November monthly visit average highlighted significant visit boosts across almost all Darden brands. The Capital Grille led the charge in December 2023, with visits 42.3% higher than the January to November average, followed closely by Ruth’s Chris Steak House (34.4%) and Season’s 52 (31.1%).
These consistent December traffic spikes coupled with November’s strong showing suggests that the company is well-positioned to sustain its current momentum into the holiday season and beyond.
Darden Restaurants continues to be a leader in the full-service segment, enjoying visit growth and capturing holiday foot traffic.
Will this year’s holiday season bring increased foot traffic to the company’s brands?
Visit Placer.ai to keep up with the latest data-driven dining insights.
About the Placer 100 Index for Retail & Dining: The Placer 100 Index for Retail and Dining is a curated, dynamic list of leading chains that often serve as prime tenants for shopping centers and malls. The index includes chains from various industries, such as superstores, grocery, dollar stores, dining, apparel, and more. Among the notable chains featured are Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, Ulta Beauty, The Home Depot, McDonald’s, Chipotle, Crunch Fitness, and Trader Joe's. The goal of the list is to provide insight into the wider trends impacting the retail, dining and shopping center segments.
October’s positive visitation trends continued in November, with overall visits to the Placer 100 Retail & Dining Index up 0.9% year-over-year (YoY) – a strong start to the holiday season.
Some of the November uptick was likely driven by Black Friday – visits to the Placer 100 Index were up 2.2% YoY overall for Black Friday Weekend 2024, with Sunday seeing a particularly pronounced visit spike of 5.3%.
And zooming out to the week before Black Friday reveals that the visit boost started even earlier – YoY visits increased as early as the Saturday before Thanksgiving, with traffic remaining positive throughout the week leading up to the retail milestone. The early growth in visits highlights the success of early promotions in driving visits this year.
Once again, Chili’s Grill & Bar topped the Placer 100 Index, likely thanks to the ongoing popularity of the chain’s Big Smash Burger, 3 For Me value meal, and Triple Dipper offering. The chain’s even more remarkable visit growth in November was likely also due to Chili’s free Veteran’s Day meals to veterans and active duty personnel, which generated a 135.4% increase in visits on Monday, November 11th relative to the previous three Mondays’ average.
November’s Placer 100 Index winners also included several value-driven chains – such as Aldi’s, HomeGoods, and Crunch Fitness – as well luxury brands such as Nordstrom and Jared Jewelers – perhaps a testament to the still bifurcated consumer market.
Barnes & Noble also made the November 2024 top 10 list, with 13.0% overall visit growth and 9.8% more visits per location, on average, than in November 2023. The legacy book retailer, on an upward trajectory since 2021, has gained significant momentum this year – and the strong November numbers indicate that the company is headed into a promising holiday season.
The chain is seeing more than just impressive visit growth – since November 2023, the share of visitors coming to Barnes & Noble from their home location or headed straight home after a trip to the book retailer has also grown. This visitation pattern suggests that Barnes & Noble is becoming a primary destination for consumers rather than an incidental stop on the way to or from another errand – underscoring the chain’s restored relevance in the wider retail landscape.
Who will dominate the holiday season and top the Placer.ai 100 Retail & Dining Index in December 2024?
Visit placer.ai to find out.
Malls have come a long way since their introduction to the world in the 1950s. These gleaming retail hubs promised shoppers a taste of the American dream, offering a third place for teens, families, and everyone in between to shop, socialize, and hang out.
And though malls have faced challenges in recent years, as e-commerce and pandemic-induced store closures led to shifts in consumer habits, the outlook is brightening. Malls have embraced innovation, incorporating enhanced entertainment, dining, and experiential offerings that attract a diverse range of visitors and redefine their purpose.
This white paper takes a look at the recent location intelligence metrics to gain an understanding of the changes taking place at malls across the country – including both indoor malls and open-air shopping centers. The report explores questions like: Why do malls experience foot traffic bumps during the summer months? How much of an impact do movie theaters have on mall visits, and what can mall operators learn from the Mall of America and American Dream malls’ focus on experiential entertainment?
Mall visitation is highly seasonal, with strikingly consistent monthly visitation patterns. Each year, visits decline somewhat in February, pick up in March, and begin to trend upward again in May – before peaking again in August. Then, after a slower September and October, foot traffic skyrockets during the holiday season, spiking dramatically in December.
And while these trends follow similar patterns every year, comparing monthly visits throughout 2019, 2023, and 2024 (YTD) to each year’s own January baseline shows that this seasonality is growing more pronounced - especially for indoor malls.
Following a lackluster 2023, visits to both indoor malls and open-air shopping centers peaked higher in March 2024 than in 2019. And this summer, indoor malls in particular saw a much larger visit boost than in previous years. In August 2024, for example, visits to indoor malls were 27.3% higher than in January 2024 – a substantially higher baseline jump than that seen either in August 2019 (17.0%) or in August 2023 (12.0%). And though open-air shopping centers experienced a smaller summer visit boost, they too saw a bigger bump this year than in 2019 or in 2023.
But malls aren’t just seeing larger visit spikes this year relative to their January baselines – they are also drawing bigger crowds than they did in 2023.
Between June and August 2024, indoor malls and open-air shopping centers both experienced year-over-year (YoY) visit growth. Indoor malls saw the largest YoY foot traffic boost (3.7%) – perhaps owing in part to 2024’s record-breaking heat, which led many patrons to seek refuge in air conditioned spaces. Still, open-air shopping centers, which feature plenty of air conditioned stores and restaurants, also enjoyed a YoY visit boost of 2.8% during the analyzed period.
Malls’ strong summer baseline and YoY foot traffic growth built upon the strong performance seen during most of 2024 so far, leading to the question: What is driving malls’ positive momentum? We delve into some of the factors propelling these changes below.
One offering that continues to play a significant role in driving foot traffic to malls is on-site movie theaters. Summer blockbuster releases, in particular, help attract crowds to theaters, in turn boosting overall visits to malls.
Much like malls, movie theaters have also proven their resilience over the past few years. While pundits fretted about the theater’s impending death, production houses were busy releasing blockbuster after blockbuster and shattering box-office records at an impressive clip. And while 2023 was certainly a banner year for blockbuster summer releases, 2024 has had its fair share of stunning box-office successes, leading to major visit boosts at theaters across the country.
Analyzing visits to malls with and without movie theaters highlights the impact of these summer Hollywood hits. Between June and August 2024, malls with theaters saw bigger visit boosts compared to a monthly year-to-date (YTD) average than malls without – an effect observed both for indoor malls and for open-air shopping centers.
For both mall types, the gap between centers with and without movie theaters was most pronounced in July 2024, likely owing to the release of Inside Out 2 in mid-June as well as the July releases of Deadpool & Wolverine and Twister. But in June and August 2024, too, centers with movie theaters sustained particularly impressive visit boosts – a solid sign that movie theaters and malls remain a winning combination.
Malls with movie theaters also drew higher shares of evening visits (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM) this summer than those without. Between June and August 2024, for example, evening outings accounted for 22.9% of visits to open-air shopping centers with movie theaters – compared to 18.2% of visits to centers without theaters. Indoor malls with theaters also saw a larger share of evening visits than those without – 18.1% compared to 15.0%.
This increase in evening traffic is likely driven by major summer movie releases and the flexibility of summer schedules, with many visitors – including families – taking advantage of late-night outings without the concern of early wakeup calls. These summer visitation trends benefit both theaters and malls, opening up opportunities for increased sales through concessions, promotions, and evening deals that attract a more relaxed and engaged crowd.
Analyzing the demographics of malls’ captured markets also reveals that centers with movie theaters are more likely to attract certain family-oriented segments than those without. (A mall’s captured market consists of the mall’s trade areas – the census block groups (CBGs) feeding visitors to the mall – weighted according to each CBG’s actual share of visits to the mall.)
Between June and August 2024, for example, 14.2% of the captured markets of open-air shopping centers with movie theaters were made up of “Wealthy Suburban Families” – compared to 9.7% for open-air shopping centers without theaters.
Indoor malls saw a similar pattern with regard to “Near-Urban Diverse Families”: Middle class families living in and around cities made up 9.0% of the captured markets of indoor malls with movie theaters, compared to 7.1% of the captured markets of those without.
This increase in foot traffic from middle-class and wealthy family segments can be a boon for malls and retail tenants – driving up food court profits and bolstering sales at stores with kid-friendly offerings.
Malls have long positioned themselves as destinations for summer entertainment as well as retail therapy, holding – in addition to back to school sales – events like Fourth of July celebrations and even indoor basketball and arena football games. And during the summer months, malls attract visitors from further away.
Between June and August 2024, indoor malls drew 18.2% of visitors from 30+ miles away – compared to just 16.7% during the first five months of the year. Similarly, open-air shopping centers drew 19.6% of visits from 30+ miles away during the summer, compared to 17.1% between January and May.
Extended daylight hours, summer trips away from home, and more free time are likely among the contributors to the summer draw for long-distance mall visitors. But in addition to their classic offerings – from movie theaters to stores and food courts – malls have also invested in other kinds of unique experiences to attract visitors. This next section takes a look at two mega-malls winning at the visitation game, to see what sets them apart.
The Minneapolis-based Mall of America opened in 1992, redefining the limits of what a mall could offer. The mall boasts hundreds of stores, games, rides, and more – and is constantly expanding its attractions, cementing its status as a top destination for retail and entertainment.
Between June and August 2024, Mall of America experienced a 13.8% YoY visit increase, far outperforming the 3.7% visit boost seen by the wider indoor mall space. And as a major tourist attraction – the mall hosted a series of Olympic-themed events throughout the summer – it also drew 41.6% of visits from 30+ miles away. This share of distant visitors was significantly higher than that seen at the mall during the first five months of 2024, and more than double the segment-wide summer average of 18.2%.
The Mall of America also seems to be attracting more upper-middle-class families during the summer than other indoor malls: Between June and August 2024, some 18.0% of Mall of America’s captured market consisted of “Upper Suburban Diverse Family Households” – a segment including upper-middle-class suburbanites – compared to just 11.1% for the wider indoor mall segment. The increased presence of these families at the Mall of America may be driven by the variety of events offered during the summer.
In 2019, the American Dream Mall in New Jersey opened and became the second-largest mall in the country. Since the mall opened its doors, it has also focused on blending retail and entertainment to draw in as wide a range of visitors as possible – and summer 2024 was no exception.
The mall hosted the Arena Football League Championship, ArenaBowl XXXIII, on Friday, July 19th. The event successfully attracted a higher share of visitors traveling from 30+ miles away compared to the average summer Friday – 35.4% compared to 25.7%.
Visits to the mall on the day of the championship were also 13.6% higher than the Friday visit average for the period between June and August 2024, showcasing the mall’s ability to draw in crowds by hosting major events.
Malls – both indoor and open-air – continue to evolve while playing a central role in the American retail landscape. Increasingly, malls are emerging as destinations for more than just shopping – especially during the summer – driving up foot traffic and attracting visitors from near and far. And while much is often said about the impact of holiday seasons on mall foot traffic, summer months offer another opportunity to boost mall visits. Malls that can curate experiences that resonate with their clientele can hope to see foot traffic growth – in the summer months and beyond.
New York City is one of the world’s leading commercial centers – and Manhattan, home to some of the nation's most prominent corporations, is at its epicenter. Manhattan’s substantial in-office workforce has helped make New York a post-pandemic office recovery leader, outpacing most other major U.S. hubs. And the plethora of healthcare, service, and other on-site workers that keep the island humming along also contribute to its thriving employment landscape.
Using the latest location analytics, this report examines the shifting dynamics of the many on-site workers employed in Manhattan and the up-and-coming Hudson Yards neighborhood. Where does today’s Manhattan workforce come from? How often do on-site employees visit Hudson Yards? And how has the share of young professionals across Manhattan’s different districts shifted since the pandemic?
Read on to find out.
The rise in work-from-home (WFH) trends during the pandemic and the persistence of hybrid work have changed the face of commuting in Manhattan.
In Q2 2019, nearly 60% of employee visits to Manhattan originated off the island. But in Q2 2021, that share fell to just 43.9% – likely due to many commuters avoiding public transportation and practicing social distancing during COVID.
Since Q2 2022, however, the share of employee visits to Manhattan from outside the borough has rebounded – steadily approaching, but not yet reaching, pre-pandemic levels. By Q2 2024, 54.7% of employee visits to Manhattan originated from elsewhere – likely a reflection of the Big Apple’s accelerated RTO that is drawing in-office workers back into the city.
Unsurprisingly, some nearby boroughs – including Queens and the Bronx – have seen their share of Manhattan worker visits bounce back to what they were in 2019, while further-away areas of New York and New Jersey continue to lag behind. But Q2 2024 also saw an increase in the share of Manhattan workers commuting from other states – both compared to 2023 and compared to 2019 – perhaps reflecting the rise of super commuting.
Commuting into Manhattan is on the rise – but how often are employees making the trip? Diving into the data for employees based in Hudson Yards – Manhattan’s newest retail, office, and residential hub, which was officially opened to the public in March 2019 – reveals that the local workforce favors fewer in-person work days than in the past.
In August 2019, before the pandemic, 60.2% of Hudson Yards-based employees visited the neighborhood at least fifteen times. But by August 2021, the neighborhood’s share of near-full-time on-site workers had begun to drop – and it has declined ever since. In August 2024, only 22.6% of local workers visited the neighborhood 15+ times throughout the month. Meanwhile, the share of Hudson Yards-based employees making an appearance between five and nine times during the month emerged as the most common visit frequency by August 2022 – and has continued to increase since. In August 2024, 25.0% of employees visited the neighborhood less than five times a month, 32.5% visited between five and nine times, and 19.2% visited between 10 and 14 times.
Like other workers throughout Manhattan, Hudson Yards employees seem to have fully embraced the new hybrid normal – coming into the office between one and four times a week.
But not all employment centers in the Hudson Yards neighborhood see the same patterns of on-site work. Some of the newest office buildings in the area appear to attract employees more frequently and from further away than other properties.
Of the Hudson Yards properties analyzed, Two Manhattan West, which was completed this year, attracted the largest share of frequent, long-distance commuters in August 2024 (15.3%) – defined as employees visiting 10+ times per month from at least 30 miles away. And The Spiral, which opened last year, drew the second-largest share of such on-site workers (12.3%).
Employees in these skyscrapers may prioritize in-person work – or have been encouraged by their employers to return to the office – more than their counterparts in other Hudson Yards buildings. Employees may also choose to come in more frequently to enjoy these properties’ newer and more advanced amenities. And service and shift workers at these properties may also be coming in more frequently to support the buildings’ elevated occupancy.
Diving deeper into the segmentation of on-site employees in the Hudson Yards district provides further insight into this unique on-site workforce.
Analysis of POIs corresponding to several commercial and office hubs in the borough reveals that between August 2019 and August 2024, Hudson Yards’ captured market had the fastest-growing share of employees belonging to STI: Landscape's “Apprentices” segment, which encompasses young, highly-paid professionals in urban settings.
Companies looking to attract young talent have already noticed that these young professionals are receptive to Hudson Yards’ vibrant atmosphere and collaborative spaces, and describe this as a key factor in their choice to lease local offices.
Manhattan is a bastion of commerce, and its strong on-site workforce has helped lead the nation’s post-pandemic office recovery. But the dynamics of the many Manhattan-based workers continues to shift. And as new commercial and residential hubs emerge on the island, workplace trends and the characteristics of employees are almost certain to evolve with them.
The restaurant space has experienced its fair share of challenges in recent years – from pandemic-related closures to rising labor and ingredient costs. Despite these hurdles, the category is holding its own, with total 2024 spending projected to reach $1.1 trillion by the end of the year.
And an analysis of year-over-year (YoY) visitation trends to restaurants nationwide shows that consumers are frequenting dining establishments in growing numbers – despite food-away-from-home prices that remain stubbornly high.
Overall, monthly visits to restaurants were up nearly every month this year compared to the equivalent periods of 2023. Only in January, when inclement weather kept many consumers at home, did restaurants see a significant YoY drop. Throughout the rest of the analyzed period, YoY visits either held steady or grew – showing that Americans are finding room in their budgets to treat themselves to tasty, hassle-free meals.
Still, costs remain elevated and dining preferences have shifted, with consumers prioritizing value and convenience – and restaurants across segments are looking for ways to meet these changing needs. This white paper dives into the data to explore the trends impacting quick-service restaurants (QSR), full-service restaurants (FSR), and fast-casual dining venues – and strategies all three categories are using to stay ahead of the pack.
Overall, the dining sector has performed well in 2024, but a closer look at specific segments within the industry shows that fast-casual restaurants are outperforming both QSR and FSR chains.
Between January and August 2024, visits to fast-casual establishments were up 3.3% YoY, while QSR visits grew by just 0.7%, and FSR visits fell by 0.3% YoY. As eating out becomes more expensive, consumers are gravitating toward dining options that offer better perceived value without compromising on quality. Fast-casual chains, which balance affordability with higher-quality ingredients and experiences, have increasingly become the go-to choice for value-conscious diners.
Fast-casual restaurants also tend to attract a higher-income demographic. Between January and August 2024, fast-casual restaurants drew visitors from Census Block Groups (CBGs) with a weighted median household income of $78.2K – higher than the nationwide median of $76.1K. (The CBGs feeding visits to these restaurants, weighted to reflect the share of visits from each CBG, are collectively referred to as their captured market).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, quick-service restaurants drew visitors from much less affluent areas. But interestingly, despite their pricier offerings, full-service restaurants also drew visitors from CBGs with a median HHI below the nationwide baseline. While fast-casual restaurants likely attract office-goers and other routine diners that can afford to eat out on a more regular basis, FSR chains may serve as special occasion destinations for those with more moderate means.
Though QSR, FSR, and fast-casual spots all seek to provide strong value propositions, dining chains across segments have been forced to raise prices over the past year to offset rising food and labor costs. This next section takes a look at several chains that have succeeded in raising prices without sacrificing visit growth – to explore some of the strategies that have enabled them to thrive.
The fast-casual restaurant space attracts diners that are on the wealthier side – but some establishments cater to even higher earners. One chain of note is NYC-based burger chain Shake Shack, which features a captured market median HHI of $94.3K. In comparison, the typical fast-casual diner comes from areas with a median HHI of $78.2K.
Shake Shack emphasizes high-quality ingredients and prices its offerings accordingly. The chain, which has been expanding its footprint, strategically places its locations in affluent, upscale, and high-traffic neighborhoods – driving foot traffic that consistently surpasses other fast-casual chains. And this elevated foot traffic has continued to impress, even as Shake Shack has raised its prices by 2.5% over the past year.
Steakhouse chain Texas Roadhouse has enjoyed a positive few years, weathering the pandemic with aplomb before moving into an expansion phase. And this year, the chain ranked in the top five for service, food quality, and overall experience by the 2024 Datassential Top 500 Restaurant Chain.
Like Shake Shack, Texas Roadhouse has raised its prices over the past year – three times – while maintaining impressive visit metrics. Between January and August 2024, foot traffic to the steakhouse grew by 9.7% YoY, outpacing visits to the overall FSR segment by wide margins.
This foot traffic growth is fueled not only by expansion but also by the chain's ability to draw traffic during quieter dayparts like weekday afternoons, while at the same time capitalizing on high-traffic times like weekends. Some 27.7% of weekday visits to Texas Roadhouse take place between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM – compared to just 18.9% for the broader FSR segment – thanks to the chain’s happy hour offerings early dining specials. And 43.3% of visits to the popular steakhouse take place on Saturdays and Sundays, when many diners are increasingly choosing to splurge on restaurant meals, compared to 38.4% for the wider category.
Though rising costs have been on everybody’s minds, summer 2024 may be best remembered as the summer of value – with many quick-service restaurants seeking to counter higher prices by embracing Limited-Time Offers (LTOs). These LTOs offered diners the opportunity to save at the register and get more bang for their buck – while boosting visits at QSR chains across the country.
Limited time offers such as discounted meals and combo offers can encourage frequent visits, and Hardee’s $5.99 "Original Bag" combo, launched in August 2024, did just that. The combo allowed diners to mix and match popular items like the Double Cheeseburger and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Wraps, offering both variety and affordability. And visits to the chain during the month of August 2024 were 4.9% higher than Hardee’s year-to-date (YTD) monthly visit average.
August’s LTO also drove up Hardee’s already-impressive loyalty rates. Between May and July 2024, 40.1% to 43.4% of visits came from customers who visited Hardee’s at least three times during the month, likely encouraged by Hardee’s top-ranking loyalty program. But in August, Hardee’s share of loyal visits jumped to 51.5%, highlighting just how receptive many diners are to eating out – as long as they feel they are getting their money’s worth.
McDonald’s launched its own limited-time offer in late June 2024, aimed at providing value to budget-conscious consumers. And the LTO – McDonald’s foray into this summer’s QSR value wars – was such a resounding success that the fast-food leader decided to extend the deal into December.
McDonald’s LTO drove foot traffic to restaurants nationwide. But a closer look at the chain’s regional captured markets shows that the offer resonated particularly well with “Young Urban Singles” – a segment group defined by Spatial.ai's PersonaLive dataset as young singles beginning their careers in trade jobs. McDonald's locations in states where the captured market shares of this demographic surpassed statewide averages by wider margins saw bigger visit boosts in July 2024 – and the correlation was a strong one.
For example, the share of “Young Urban Singles” in McDonald’s Massachusetts captured market was 56.0% higher than the Massachusetts statewide baseline – and the chain saw a 10.6% visit boost in July 2024, compared to the chain's statewide H1 2024 monthly average. But in Florida, where McDonald’s captured markets were over-indexed for “Young Urban Singles” by just 13% compared to the statewide average, foot traffic jumped in July 2024 by a relatively modest 7.3%.
These young, price-conscious consumers, who are receptive to spending their discretionary income on dining out, are not the sole driver of McDonald’s LTO foot traffic success. Still, the promotion’s outsize performance in areas where McDonald’s attracts higher-than-average shares of Young Urban Singles shows that the offering was well-tailored to meet the particular needs and preferences of this key demographic.
While QSR, fast-casual, and FSR chains have largely boosted foot traffic through deals and specials, reputation is another powerful way to attract diners. Restaurants that earn a coveted Michelin Star often see a surge in visits, as was the case for Causa – a Peruvian dining destination in Washington, D.C. The restaurant received its first Michelin Star in November 2023, a major milestone for Chef Carlos Delgado.
The Michelin Star elevated the restaurant's profile, drawing in affluent diners who prioritize exclusivity and are less sensitive to price increases. Since the award, Causa saw its share of the "Power Elite" segment group in its captured market increase from 24.7% to 26.6%. Diners were also more willing to travel for the opportunity to partake in the Causa experience: In the six months following the award, some 40.3% of visitors to the restaurant came from more than ten miles away, compared to just 30.3% in the six months prior.
These data points highlight the power of a Michelin Star to increase a restaurant’s draw and attract more affluent audiences – allowing it to raise prices without losing its core clientele. Wealthier diners often seek unique culinary experiences, where price is less of a concern, making these establishments more resilient to inflation than more venues that serve more price-sensitive customers.
Dining preferences continue to evolve as restaurants adapt to a rapidly changing culinary landscape. From the rise in fast-casual dining to the benefits of limited-time offers, the analyzed restaurant categories are determining how to best reach their target audiences. By staying up-to-date with what people are eating, these restaurant categories can hope to continue bringing customers through the door.
