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“Turkey Wednesday” – the day before Thanksgiving – is the Black Friday of the grocery sector. Shoppers flock to supermarkets nationwide to pick up everything from turkey to cranberry sauce. And for grocery retailers, the resulting traffic surge marks one of the most important days of the year.
So with the holiday just under our (admittedly, slightly loosened) belts, we dug into the data to see how this year’s milestone performed. Did economic uncertainty or online alternatives keep shoppers home? Or did the milestone drive results?
The data leaves little room for doubt: Turkey Wednesday delivered once again. On November 26th, 2025, visits to grocery stores surged 82.6% above the average day from November 2024 through October 2025. And across the full pre-Thanksgiving week (November 20th–26th), traffic climbed 26.8% above the weekly average.
Turkey Wednesday this year also outperformed 2024: Year over year (YoY), overall grocery visits increased 5.8% on Turkey Wednesday, while the average number of visits per individual location rose 4.8%. And looking at the entire week before Thanksgiving, overall traffic and average visits per location rose 5.1% and 4.1%, respectively.
Which grocery segments contributed the most to the pre-holiday traffic surge? Digging into the data for different grocery formats reveals a clear divide between Turkey Wednesday itself and the days leading up to the milestone, with each segment contributing at different moments.
On Turkey Wednesday, traditional supermarkets came out on top. Visits to chains like Kroger, Safeway, and H-E-B climbed 85.6% above their 12-month daily average, a larger jump than in 2024. Value and specialty chains also posted YoY gains that outpaced last year – though their spikes were smaller than those seen at traditional grocers.
But widening the lens to the entire week before Thanksgiving reveals a more nuanced picture. While traditional grocery chains dominated Turkey Wednesday itself, value grocery stores have become increasingly vital destinations during the broader pre-holiday period. Over the full week, value grocery visits rose 27.8% above their weekly baseline, edging out the 26.8% increase for traditional supermarkets.
This early-week advantage for budget chains suggests that many price-sensitive shoppers may be planning ahead, spreading trips across multiple days and hunting for better deals before the last-minute rush.
Daily visit patterns further highlight the split between early value planners and day-of shoppers. As the chart below shows, value grocery chains consistently outperformed traditional grocers from Thursday, November 20th through Tuesday, November 24th, as shoppers did the bulk of their shopping. Specialty grocers also kept close pace with traditional supermarkets during this period, occasionally pulling slightly ahead.
Then, on Turkey Wednesday, traditional grocery took the lead with a 104.1% jump over a typical Wednesday – well above the other segments. When shoppers move into last-minute mode, it’s the traditional chains’ broad assortments and familiar layouts that draw them in for those final items.
But while value grocers benefit most from the early phase of holiday shopping, visit-duration data shows that the two-phase pattern plays out across all segments. Between November 20th and 25th, average dwell times rose across grocery formats, peaking on Monday and Tuesday for traditional chains and over the weekend for value and specialty grocers.
Then, on Turkey Wednesday, dwell times eased back from those peak levels – reflecting a shift toward faster, more targeted trips to grab missing ingredients or finalize meal prep. The shift from longer, more deliberate outings to shorter, last-minute stops underscores the two-step rhythm of Thanksgiving shopping: thoughtful planning early on, followed by efficient wrap-ups as the holiday approaches.
Differences between segments notwithstanding, leading grocery chains across formats saw meaningful YoY traffic gains, both on Turkey Wednesday and during the full pre-holiday week. As shown by the chart below, major chains from Trader Joe’s to Meijer experienced YoY increases in the average number of visits to each location during the pre-Thanksgiving rush, pointing to widespread sector-wide strength during the milestone.
Grocery’s strong performance on Turkey Wednesday – the first big milestone of the holiday period – offers a welcome sign of shopper resilience in a season defined by concerns over confidence.
And as the festive season continues, grocery chains across formats can use these insights to refine their layouts, promotions, and assortments to capture even more pre-holiday traffic. Traditional grocery chains, for example, may look to strengthen their value-focused offerings to appeal to early planners in the pre-Christmas period, while value grocers might consider strategies to capture more of the last-minute traffic that intensifies as the holiday approaches.
For more data-driven grocery insights check out Placer.ai’s free industry trends tool.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
During the quarter ending August 16, 2025, Kroger’s same-store sales (excl. fuel) rose 3.4% year over year, slightly outperforming the prior reporting period’s 3.2% increase. Behind that steady sales growth is a surge in digital engagement: E-commerce sales – including BOPIS (buy-online-pickup-in-store) – jumped 16.0%, building on an already impressive 15.0% increase the previous quarter.
This digital momentum is showing up in store traffic as well. Over the past several months, total visits to Kroger’s banners have grown modestly, between 0.4% and 3.3% year over year (YoY). But short visits (under ten minutes) have really accelerated, suggesting rising shopper appetite for curbside and in-store pickup – an especially promising sign for the grocery leader as it doubles down on digital profitability. Last week, Kroger announced the closure of several automated facilities and a pivot toward store-based fulfillment and third-party delivery partnerships. And with the increasing use of BOPIS, that strategy appears well-aligned with how many customers are already choosing to shop.
Zooming in on Kroger’s individual brands reveals a similar trend. Short visits led the way across all major Kroger banners, from its namesake stores to Fred Meyer’s hypercenter format. At the same time, longer in-store visits also trended upward, showing that traditional in-store shopping remains resilient even as digital and pickup channels expand.
And like many other retailers, all Kroger brands saw positive YoY visit growth in October. This renewed strength in a category like grocery that doesn’t typically feature major October promotions may signal improving consumer resilience heading into the holidays.
Foot traffic patterns highlight Kroger’s growing strength in balancing digital convenience with in-store engagement. And as the company refines its fulfillment model, its ability to efficiently serve customers across channels may prove to be a key competitive edge as Q4 wears on.
For more data-driven retail insights, follow Placer.ai/anchor.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
The holiday season is apparel’s time to shine. Steep seasonal markdowns draw budget-conscious consumers eager to save a few bucks on refreshing their wardrobes, while a wide array of gift options entices those hunting for that perfect sweater their sister would never buy for herself.
But to make the most of this opportunity, retailers need to understand their shoppers. Who is driving holiday visit traffic to clothing stores – and what are they after?
If last year is any indication, off-price brands will likely see a steady climb in visits from early November onward, fueled by continuous markdowns and the treasure-hunt appeal of new inventory. Traditional apparel retailers, by contrast, are more likely to see sharper, event-driven spikes – especially around key milestones like Black Friday.
The two apparel categories also differ in how shoppers spend their time once they’re in-store.
Traditional retailers see visit durations rise on Black Friday, as shoppers looking to restock their closets take time to browse and try on clothes. But during key December milestones like Super Saturday and the days leading up to Christmas, dwell times actually dip below average as shoppers focus on quick gift purchases rather than personal shopping.
Off-price retailers, on the other hand, sustain longer dwell times throughout most of the season. This suggests that many off-price shoppers are combining gift buying with taking advantage of seasonal prices to purchase clothing for themselves and their families. Only on Christmas Eve do visit durations to off-price retailers fall below average, as shoppers make their final dash for stocking stuffers.
Unsurprisingly, off-price retailers draw less affluent shoppers than traditional apparel chains. But during the holiday shopping season, both segments attract broader audiences than usual. Last December, the captured markets of both types of retailers included higher shares of middle- and lower-income consumers that may not typically splurge on new clothes – though as illustrated by the chart below, the shift was more pronounced for off-price retailers.
While off-price retailers have seen stronger foot traffic trends this year, the holidays remain a critical period for both segments. And by understanding shifts in consumer behavior, retailers across apparel categories can better tailor their strategies to capture demand:
For more data-driven apparel insights check out Placer.ai’s free industry trends tool.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
Visits to DICK’S Sporting Goods remained below 2024 levels through most of 2025, but the year-over-year (YoY) gap has narrowed – improving from -6.0% in Q1 to -2.6% in Q3. This YoY visit gap is partly due to store closures: Over the past year, DICK’s has closed several locations, leading to a drop in its total unit count. And monthly data points to renewed momentum for Q4 – October visits climbed 2.2% YoY, marking the company’s strongest performance of the year and a promising sign for the holiday season.
DICK’s solid positioning ahead of the holidays is also supported by recent sales results. For the quarter ending August 2nd, 2025, comparable sales rose 5.0% YoY, driven primarily by a 4.1% increase in average ticket size and supported by a 0.9% uptick in transactions – with e-commerce once again outpacing overall company performance.
The retailer is also deepening its digital engagement through its Game Changer youth sports app, which last quarter reached 7.4 million unique active users. At the same time, DICK’S recent acquisition of Foot Locker opens new opportunities to drive in-person shopping growth, while its expanding House of Sport concept strengthens the brand’s experiential footprint.
As the all-important holiday season approaches, will DICK’S continue to grow its foot traffic? Or will inflation fatigue keep shoppers at home?
Follow Placer.ai's data driven retail analyses to find out what lies ahead for DICK’S.
Consumer sentiment has fallen to historic lows as financial strain and inflation fatigue take their toll. Yet some retail categories continue to see steady visit growth, and dollar stores are among the standouts.
We dove into the visit data for two major players in the space – Dollar Tree and Dollar General – to see how they are faring in 2025.
Dollar Tree and Dollar General are entering the final quarter of the year on the tails of consistent, meaningful visit growth, with visits to both chains elevated every quarter from Q1 2024 onward. These results are consistent with both chains’ reporting, with Dollar Tree’s Q2 2025 net sales up 12.3% YoY, and comp sales rising 6.5%. Dollar General delivered similarly steady growth, with Q2 2025 net sales up 5.1% while same-store sales grew 2.8%.
Monthly visits, like quarterly trends, were elevated, with a notable uptick in October. Dollar Tree’s YoY visits climbed from -0.1% in September to 2.8% in October, while Dollar General’s rose from 4.4% to 6.0% over the same period, likely driven by Halloween shopping and early seasonal momentum ahead of the holidays.
Both brands continue to focus on expanding their fleets, signalling that both Dollar Tree and Dollar General are confident that their value propositions will continue to resonate with shoppers.
Dollar Tree and Dollar General continue to grow, propelled by consumers’ ongoing prioritization of value and affordability. As the holiday season approaches, both retailers seem well-positioned to capture increased traffic and spending from cost-conscious shoppers.
For the most up-to-date retail insights, check out Placer.ai’s free tools.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
The world of work remains in flux as companies and employees keep redefining the new “normal”. On the one hand, hybrid work has become ubiquitous – and remote-driven concepts like “microshifting” are reshaping how we think about maximizing productivity. At the same time, growing awareness of co-location’s role in sustaining the social infrastructure that fuels innovation and success is prompting more companies to call employees back to the office. In 2025 alone, employers from Toyota to JP Morgan Chase, the Washington Post, Paramount/Skydance, and even the federal government joined the wave with five-day-a-week in-office mandates.
But how are these countervailing currents playing out on the ground? Is office foot traffic reaching a plateau or is the return to office (RTO) still gaining momentum?
In October 2025, visits to Placer.ai’s Nationwide Office Index were 30.8% below October 2019 levels. While this represents a larger year-over-six-year (Yo6Y) visit gap than in September, it still signals meaningful progress: September 2025 included one extra working day compared to 2019, whereas October had one fewer. And when controlling for the number of business days, October actually saw 1.2% more traffic than September.
Year over year (YoY), too, nationwide office visits grew 4.7% in October 2025 (see second graph below) – showing that even amid entrenched hybrid norms and ongoing pushback against in-person requirements, office visit numbers continue to trend steadily upwards.
Turning to regional RTO trends, Miami and New York continued to lead the post-pandemic recovery pack. In another sign of San Francisco’s emerging turnaround, the city once again outpaced Chicago for Yo6Y growth and recorded the fastest YoY visit growth of any analyzed city. Southern hubs Dallas and Houston also outperformed the nationwide Yo6Y benchmark of -30.8%, while Houston just slightly lagged at 34.9%.
And in another indication of on-the-ground resistance to five-day mandates, location analytics suggests that employees really are quiet-quitting Fridays – at least when it comes to in-office work. Between January and October 2025, just 12.4% of weekday visits to office buildings took place on Fridays, compared to 24.3% on Tuesdays, 23.7% on Wednesdays, and 21.8% on Thursdays.
The extent of the phenomenon varies by market – employees were most likely to make the end-of-week trek to the office in Miami and Dallas and least likely to do so in Boston and Chicago – though no analyzed city saw a share of Friday visits above 15.0%. And despite New York City’s strong overall RTO, the Big Apple trailed the national baseline in Friday attendance.
October 2025’s Office Index data shows that the RTO story is still far from settled. Hybrid habits remain deeply ingrained, yet steady progress suggests a gradual rebalancing between flexibility and presence – one that will continue to shape the workplace landscape in the months ahead.
For more data-driven office visit insights, follow Placer.ai/anchor.
Following COVID-era highs, domestic migration levels have begun to taper off – with the number of Americans moving within the U.S. hitting an all-time low, according to some sources, in 2023.
To be sure, some popular COVID-era destinations – including Idaho, the Carolinas, and Utah – saw their net domestic migration continue to rise, albeit at a slower pace. But other states which had been relocation hotspots between February 2020 and February 2023, such as Wyoming and Texas, experienced negative net migration between February 2023 and February 2024.
Analyzing CBSA-level migration data reveals differences and similarities between last year’s migration patterns and COVID-era trends.
Between February 2020 and February 2023, seven out of the ten CBSAs posting the largest population increases due to inbound domestic migration were located in Florida. But between February 2023 and February 2024, the top 10 CBSAs with the largest net migrated percent of the population were significantly more diverse. Only four out of the ten CBSAs were located in Florida, and several new metro areas – including Provo-Orem, UT, Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA, and Boulder, CO – joined the list.
This white paper leverages a variety of location intelligence tools – including Placer.ai’s Migration Report, Niche Neighborhood Grades, and ACS Census Data location intelligence – to analyze two migration hotspots. Specifically, the report focuses on Daytona Beach, FL, which already appeared on the February 2020 to February 2023 list and has continued to see steady growth, and Boulder, CO, which has emerged as a new top destination. The data highlights the potential of CBSAs with unique value propositions to continue to attract newcomers despite ongoing housing headwinds.
The Boulder, CO CBSA has emerged as a domestic migration hotspot: The net influx of population between February 2023 and February 2024 (i.e. the total number of people that moved to Boulder from elsewhere in the U.S., minus those that left) constituted 3.1% of the CBSA’s February 2024 population.
The strong migration is partially due to the University of Colorado, Boulder’s growing popularity. But the metro area has also emerged as a flourishing tech hub, with Google, Apple, and Amazon all setting up shop in town, along with a wealth of smaller start ups.
Most domestic relocators tend to remain within state lines – so unsurprisingly, many of the recent newcomers to Boulder moved from other CBSAs in Colorado. But perhaps due to Boulder’s robust tech ecosystem, many of the new residents also came from Los Angeles, CA (6.6%) and San Francisco, CA (3.4%) – other CBSAs known for their thriving tech scenes.
At the same time, looking at the other CBSAs feeding migration to the area indicates that tech is likely not the only draw attracting people to Boulder: A significant share of relocators came from the CBSAs of Chicago, IL (6.1%), Dallas , TX (4.9%), and New York, NY (3.9%). The move from these relatively urbanized CBSAs to scenic Boulder indicates that some of the domestic migration to the area is likely driven by people looking for better access to nature or a general lifestyle change.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, Boulder ranked in second place in terms of U.S. cities with the best quality of life. Using Niche Neighborhood Grades to compare quality of life attributes in the Boulder CBSA and in the areas of origin dataset highlights some of the draw factors attracting newcomers to Boulder beyond the thriving tech scene.
The Boulder CBSA ranked higher than the metro areas of origin for “Public Schools,” “Health & Fitness,” “Fit for Families,” and “Access to Outdoor Activities.” These migration draw factors are likely helping Boulder attract more senior executives alongside younger tech workers – and can also explain why relocators from more urban metro areas may be choosing to make Boulder their home.
Boulder’s strong inbound migration numbers over the past year – likely driven by its flourishing tech scene and beautiful natural surroundings – reveal the growth potential of certain CBSAs regardless of wider housing market headwinds.
Florida experienced a population boom during the pandemic, and several CBSAs in the state – including the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL CBSA – have continued to welcome domestic relocators in high numbers. The CBSA’s anchor city, Daytona Beach – known for its Bike Week and NASCAR’s Daytona 500 – has also seen positive net migration between February 2023 and February 2024.
Americans planning for retirement or retirees operating on a fixed income are likely particularly interested in optimizing their living expenses. And given Daytona’s relative affordability, it’s no surprise that the median age in the areas of origin feeding migration to Daytona Beach tends to be on the older side.
According to the 2021 Census ACS 5-Year Projection data, the median age in Daytona Beach was 39.0. Meanwhile, the weighted median age in the areas of migration origin was 42.6, indicating that those moving to Daytona Beach may be older than the current residents of the city.
Zooming into the migration data on a zip code level also highlights Daytona Beach’s appeal to older Americans: The zip code welcoming the highest rates of domestic migration was 32124, home to both Jimmy Buffet’s Latitude Margaritaville’s 55+ community and the LPGA International Golf Club, host of the LPGA Tour. The median age in this zip code is also older than in Daytona Beach as a whole, and the weighted age in the zip codes of origin was even higher – suggesting that older Americans and retirees may be driving much of the migration to the area.
Looking at the migration draw factors for Daytona Beach also suggests that the city is particularly appealing to retirees, with the city scoring an A grade for its “Fit for Retirees.” But the city of Daytona Beach is also an attractive destination for anyone looking to elevate their leisure time, with the city scoring higher than Daytona Beach’s cities of migration origin for “Weather,” “Access to Restaurants,” or “Access to Nightlife.”
Like Boulder, Daytona’s scenery – including its famous beaches – is likely attracting newcomers looking to spend more time outdoors and improve their work-life balance. And like Boulder and its tech scene, Daytona Beach also has an extra pull factor – its affordability and fit for older Americans – that is likely helping the area continue to attract new residents, even as domestic migration slows down nationwide.
Although the overall pace of domestic migration has slowed, analyzing location intelligence data reveals several migration hotspots amidst the overall cooldown. Boulder and Daytona Beach each have a set of unique draw factors that seem to attract different populations – and the success of these regions highlights the many paths to migration growth in 2024.
The Fitness industry was a major post-pandemic winner. Visits to gyms across the country surged as stay-at-home orders ended and people returned to their in-person workout routines. And even as consumers reduced discretionary spending in the face of inflation, they kept going to the gym – finding room in their budgets for the chance to embrace wellness and get in shape while interacting with other people.
But no category can sustain such unabated growth forever – and as the segment inevitably stabilizes, gyms will need to stay nimble on their feet to maintain their competitive edge.
This white paper takes a closer look at the state of Fitness as the category transitions into a more stable growth phase following two years of outsize post-pandemic demand. The report digs into the location analytics to reveal how the Fitness space has changed – and what strategies gyms can adopt to stay ahead of the pack.
*This report excludes locations within Washington state due to local legislation.
Monthly visits to the Fitness category have grown consistently year over year (YoY) since early 2022, when COVID subsided and gyms returned to full capacity. And the segment is still doing remarkably well. Even in January and March 2024 – when visits were curtailed by an Arctic blast and by the Easter holiday weekend – YoY Fitness visits remained positive, despite the comparison to an already strong 2023.
Still, recent months have seen smaller YoY increases than last year, indicating that the Fitness category is entering a more normalized growth phase.
By keeping a close watch on evolving consumer preferences, fitness chains can uncover new opportunities for growth and adaptation within a stabilizing market – including leaning into increasingly popular dayparts.
Examining the evolving distribution of gym visits by daypart over the past six years shows that major shifts were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between Q1 2019 and Q1 2021, as remote work took hold, gyms saw their share of 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM visits increase from 15.8% to 18.6%. Though this trend partially reversed as the pandemic receded, afternoon visits remained elevated in Q1 2024 compared to pre-COVID – likely a reflection of hybrid work patterns that leave people free to take an exercise break during their workdays.
At the same time, the share of morning visits to fitness chains (between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM) dropped from 20.5% in Q1 2019 to 17.2% in Q1 2024, while evening visits (between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM) increased from 11.3% to 13.2%.
Gyms that recognize this changing behavior can adapt to new workout preferences – whether by incentivizing morning visits, scheduling popular classes mid-afternoon, or offering extended evening hours.
In fact, the data indicates that gyms that are leaning into the evening workout trend are already finding success: Of the top 12 most-visited gym chains in the country, those that saw bigger increases in their shares of evening visits also tended to see greater YoY visit growth.
EōS Fitness and Crunch Fitness, for example, have seen their shares of evening visits grow by 5.5% and 3.4%, respectively, since COVID – and in Q1 2024, their YoY visits grew by 29.0% and 21.8%, respectively. Other chains, including 24 Hour Fitness and Chuze Fitness, experienced similar shifts in visit patterns. At the same time, LA Fitness saw just a minor increase in its share of evening visits between Q1 2019 and Q1 2024, and a correspondingly small increase in YoY visits.
As the evening workout slot gains popularity, gym operators that can adapt to these new trends and encourage evening visits may see significant benefits in the years to come.
Diving into demographic data for the analyzed gym chains sheds light on some factors that may be driving this heightened preference for evening workouts at top-performing gyms.
The four fitness chains that experienced the greatest YoY visit boosts in Q1 – Crunch Fitness, EōS Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and Chuze Fitness – all featured trade areas with significantly higher-than-average shares of Young Professionals and Non-Family Households. (STI: PopStat’s Non-Family Household segment includes households with more than one person not defined as family members. Spatial.ai: PersonaLive’s Young Professional consumer segment includes young professionals starting their careers in white collar or technical jobs.)
In plainer terms, these consumer segments – typically young, well-educated, and without children – and therefore more likely to be flexible in their workout times – are driving visits to some of the best-performing gyms across the country. And these audiences seem to be displaying a preference for nighttime sweat sessions – a factor that gyms can take into account when planning programming and marketing efforts.
Leaning into emerging gym visitation patterns is one way for fitness chains to thrive in 2024 – but it isn’t the only marker of success for the segment. Even after years of visit growth, the market remains open to new opportunities and innovations that meet health-conscious consumers where they are.
STRIDE Fitness, a gym that offers treadmill-based interval training, has sparked a trend among running enthusiasts. This niche player is finding success, particularly among a specific demographic: runners and endurance training enthusiasts.
Between January and April 2024, monthly YoY visits to STRIDE Fitness consistently outperformed the wider Fitness space. A standout month was January, when STRIDE Fitness’s visits soared by an impressive 33.6% YoY, surpassing the industry average of 5.7% for the same period.
Psychographic data from the Spatial.ai’s FollowGraph dataset – which looks at the social media activity of a given audience – suggests that STRIDE Fitness’ trade areas are well-positioned to attract those visitors most open to its offerings. Residents of STRIDE Fitness’s potential market are 24% more likely to be, or to be interested in, Endurance Athletes than the nationwide average – compared to just 3% for the Fitness industry as a whole. Similar patterns emerge for Marathon Runners and Triathlon Participants. This indicates that the chain is well-situated near consumers with a passion for endurance sports and long distance running, helping it maintain a competitive edge in the crowded gym market.
Pickleball, a game that blends elements of tennis, ping pong, and badminton, is the fastest-growing sport in the country. And recognizing its broad appeal, some fitness chains have begun incorporating pickleball courts into their facilities.
Arizona-based EōS Fitness added a pickleball court at a Phoenix, AZ location – and early 2024 data highlights the impact of this addition. Between January and April 2024, the location drew between 9.1% and 33.3% more monthly visits than the chain’s Arizona visit-per-location average.
And analyzing the demographic profile of the chain’s location with a pickleball court reinforces the game’s increasingly wide appeal. Young consumer segments have been embracing the game in large numbers – and the Phoenix EōS Fitness location’s potential market includes a significantly higher share of 18 to 34-year-olds than the chain’s overall Arizona potential market. Residents of the pickleball location’s trade area are also less affluent than the chain’s Arizona average.
Pickleball has typically been associated with more affluent consumer segments, and it seems like this may be shifting. With more people than ever embracing the game, gyms that choose to add courts to their facilities may reap the foot traffic benefits.
The Fitness industry has undergone a significant transformation since COVID-19. The category’s outsize post-pandemic visit growth has begun to stabilize, and gyms are staying ahead by adapting to changing consumer preferences. Evenings are emerging as crucial dayparts for gym operators, likely driven by younger consumer segments. And niche fitness chains are seeing visit success, proving that there are plenty of ways for the Fitness segment to succeed.
This report includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.0, which implements improvements to our extrapolation capabilities, adds short visit monitoring, and enhances visit detection.
Grabbing a coffee or snack at a convenience store is a time-honored road trip tradition – but increasingly, Convenience Stores (C-Stores) have also emerged as places people go out of their way to visit.
Convenience stores have thrived in recent years, making inroads into the discretionary dining space and growing both their audiences and their sales. Between April 2023 and March 2024, C-Stores experienced consistent year-over-year (YoY) visit growth, generally outperforming Overall Retail. Unsurprisingly, C-Stores fell behind Overall Retail in November and December 2023, when holiday shoppers flocked to malls and superstores to buy gifts for loved ones. But in January 2024, the segment regained its lead, growing YoY visits even as Overall Retail languished in the face of an Arctic blast that had many consumers hunkering down at home.
C-Stores’ current strength is partially due to the significant innovation by leading players in the space: Chains like Casey’s, Maverik, Buc-ee’s, and Rutter’s are investing in both in their product offerings and in their physical venues to transform the humble C-Store from a stop along the way into a bona fide destination. Dive into the data to explore some of the key strategies helping C-Stores drive consumer engagement and stay ahead of the pack.
While chain expansion may explain some of the C-Store segment growth, a look at visit-per-location trends shows that demand is growing at the store level as well. Over the past year (April 2023 to March 2024), average visits per location on an industry-wide basis grew by 1.8%, compared to the year prior (April 2022 to 2023).
And within this growing segment, some brands are distinguishing themselves and outperforming category averages. Casey’s, for example, saw the average number of visits to each of its locations increase by 2.3% over the same time frame – while Maverik, Buc-ee’s and Rutter’s saw visits per location increase by 3.2%, 3.4% and 3.9%, respectively.
Each in its own way, Casey’s, Maverik, Buc-ee’s, and Rutter’s, are helping to transform C-Stores from pit stops where people can stretch their legs and grab a cup of coffee to destinations in and of themselves.
Midwestern gas and c-store chain Casey’s – famous for its breakfast pizza and other grab-and-go breakfast items – has emerged as a prime spot for fast food pizza lovers to grab a slice first thing in the morning. And Salt Lake City, Utah-based Maverik – which recently acquired Kum & Go and its 400-plus stores – is also establishing itself as a breakfast destination thanks to its specialty burritos and other chef-inspired creations.
Casey’s and Maverik’s popular breakfast options are likely helping the chains receive its larger-than-average share of morning visits: In Q1 2024, 16.3% of visits to Maverik and 17.5% of visits to Casey’s took place during the 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM daypart, compared to just 14.9% of visits to the wider C-Store category.
Psychographic data from the Spatial.ai’s FollowGraph dataset – which looks at the social media activity of a given audience – also suggests that Casey’s and Maverik’s have opened stores in locations that allow them to reach their target audience. Compared to the average consumer, residents of Casey’s potential market are 7% more likely to be “Fast Food Pizza Lovers” than both the average consumer and the average C-Store trade area resident. Residents of Maverik’s potential market are 16% more likely than the average consumer to be “Mexican Food Enthusiasts,” compared to residents of the average C-Store’s trade area who are only 1% more likely to fall into that category.
With both chains expanding, Casey’s and Maverik can hope to introduce new audiences to their unique breakfast options and solidify their hold over the morning daypart within the C-Store space over the next few years.
Everything is said to be bigger in the Lone Star State, and Texas-based convenience store chain Buc-ee’s – holder of the record for the worlds’ largest C-Store – is no exception. With a unique array of specialty food items and award-winning bathrooms, Buc-ee’s has emerged as a well-known tourist attraction. And the popular chain’s status as a visitor hotspot is reflected in two key metrics.
First, Buc-ee’s attracts a much greater share of weekend visits than other convenience store chains. In Q1 2024, 39.6% of visits to Buc-ee’s took place on the weekends, compared to just 28.3% for the wider C-Store industry. And second, Buc-ee’s captured markets feature higher-than-average shares of family-centric households – including those belonging to Experian: Mosaic’s Suburban Style, Flourishing Families, and Promising Families segments.
Rather than merely a place to stop on the way to work, Buc-ee’s has emerged as a favored destination for families and for people looking for something fun to do on their days off.
Buc-ee’s isn’t the only C-Store chain that believes bigger is better. Pennsylvania-based Rutter’s is increasing visits and customer dwell time by expanding its footprint – both in terms of store count and venue size. New stores will be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet – significantly larger than the industry average of around 3,100 square feet. And in more urban areas, where space is at a premium, the company is building upwards.
Rutter’s added a second floor to one of its existing locations in York, PA in December 2023. The remodel, which was met with enthusiasm by customers, provided additional seating for up to 30 diners, a beer cave, and an expanded wine selection. And in Q1 2024, the location experienced 15.6% YoY visit growth – compared to a chainwide average of 7.6%. Visitors to the newly remodeled Rutter’s also stayed significantly longer than they did pre-renovation. The share of extended visits to the store (longer than ten minutes) grew from 20.8% in Q1 2023 to 27.0% in Q1 2024 – likely from people browsing the chain’s selection of beers or grabbing a bite to eat.
Convenience stores are flourishing, transforming into some of the most exciting dining and tourist destinations in the country. Today, C-Store customers can expect to find brisket sandwiches, gourmet coffees, or craft beers, rather than the stale cups of coffee of old. And the data shows that customers are receptive to these innovations, helping drive the segment’s success.
