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Shake Shack and Wingstop, two major names in the fast-casual and quick-service restaurant category, have had a standout year. Both chains enjoyed impressive visits while executing wide-ranging expansion strategies.
We dive into the location analytics for both brands to recap 2024’s success.
Shake Shack and Wingstop performed extremely well in 2024, with visits up 21.7% and 23.0%, respectively, compared to 2023 – thanks in large part to aggressive fleet expansions. Both chains enjoyed their strongest year-over-year (YoY) visit growth in the first half of the year, with H1 2024 visits to Shake Shack up 26.0% and to Wingstop up 28.7% compared to the same period in 2023. And while growth slowed down slightly towards the end of 2024, the two brands still ended the year with 16.8% (Shake Shack) and 11.6% (Wingstop) Q4 YoY visit growth – quite an impressive metric, especially given the wider dining headwinds.
Shake Shack and Wingstop are both in the midst of aggressive fleet expansions: Shake Shack opened 42 new locations and plans to triple that number in the coming years, while Wingstop added at least 138 new locations and also plans on adding hundreds of new stores in the coming years. Both companies have made suburban expansion a central focus of their growth strategies, and psychographic shifts in their captured markets over the past five years suggest this approach is working. Analyzing the chains’ visitor bases using the Esri: Tapestry dataset combined with Placer.ai captured market data reveals that Shake Shack increased the share of “Suburban Periphery” visitors in its trade area from 43.8% in 2019 to 45.4% in 2024. The share of the “Suburban Periphery” segment in Wingstop’s trade area rose from 23.8% to 24.9% during the same period. Wingstop also saw a decline in its share of “Urban Periphery” visitors while the share of the “Principal Urban Center” segment in both chains’ trade areas decreased during the analyzed period – further indicating growth in suburban markets.As more people migrate to the suburbs, offering convenient dining options outside of city centers is likely to remain a winning strategy for both chains.
While expansions helped drive the overall visit numbers up, the two chains also received several traffic spikes throughout the year driven by limited time offers (LTOs) and special menu launches. This strategy has recently proven successful for a number of QSR and fast-casual chains – Wendy’s, for example, finished 2024 with a 2.8% YoY increase in Q4 visits (0.7% YoY increase for 2024 as a whole) thanks in large part to its Krabby Patty Kollab LTO. Shake Shack received the most significant visit increase relative to its 2024 weekly visit average during its holiday special which included offers of free burgers every day from mid-December through Christmas Eve. Diners eagerly responded to the promotion, with weekly visits surging by 24.4% during the week of December 16th, 2024 relative to 2024’s weekly average. Similarly, Wingstop’s National Wing Day promo led to a 17.2% visit increase over the week of July 30th. Other promotional activities also influenced visits at these dining chains. For example, Shake Shack’s summer barbecue menu, which included a unique perk – a limited offer of “stain insurance” for customers who got excess BBQ sauce on their clothes – drove visits 13.8% higher than the weekly visit average. Similarly, Wingstop’s Summer of Flavor bundle drove visits to the chain during the week of July 22nd, 2024 by 6.6% relative to the 2024 weekly visit average. These promotions highlight the importance of creating buzz and offering exclusive deals to attract both new and returning customers.
Both Shake Shack and Wingstop enjoyed impressive visits in 2024 while expanding their fleets – but can the two chains continue this success into 2025? Visit Placer.ai/blog to keep up with the latest data-driven dining insights.
In December 2024, Saks Fifth Avenue finalized its acquisition of Neiman Marcus – forming a new parent company Saks Global. We dove into the foot traffic patterns and audience segmentation for the two department stores in order to better understand Saks Global’s positioning following the deal.
Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus are four of the leading players in the luxury department store space. Analysis of the retailers’ relative visits share in 2024 reveals that Nordstrom claims the lion's share of combined visits between the four department stores (68.4% in 2024), distantly followed by Bloomingdale’s (14.9%). On their own, Saks (7.3%) and Neiman (9.5%) drive the smallest shares of visits, but together, the two department stores account for a greater share of visits than Bloomingdale’s, making Saks Global the second largest luxury department store player by share of visits.
In addition to a larger share of visits, by acquiring Neiman Marcus, Saks appears to gain an audience with a greater affinity for “accessible luxury”. Although a sizeable share of Saks’ visitors also visited a Nordstrom store (40.4%), an even larger share (just over half, or 50.1%) of Neiman’s visitors also visited the accessible luxury department stores. Some have posited that Saks Fifth Avenue could be positioned as an “accessible luxury brand”. However, the data suggests that Neiman may be better suited to compete for visits from “accessible luxury” shoppers.
Diving deeper into the retailers’ quarterly visit patterns further highlights how Saks stands to gain through its acquisition of Neiman. Of the four luxury department stores analyzed, Saks Fifth Avenue received the smallest share of its visits in Q4, while Neiman received the largest share of its visits over the holiday shopping season. So by acquiring Neiman, Saks Global benefits from a greater share of visits during a critical retail moment.
Along with visit share gains and a larger holiday boost, the acquisition of Neiman Marcus gives Saks Global access to a more affluent audience than Saks Fifth Avenue’s. Analysis of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus’s trade areas combined with STI:PopStats data reveals that both retailers drive traffic from households with above-average incomes – but Neiman’s audience seems to be slightly more affluent: In Q4 2024, the median household income (HHI) of Neiman’s captured market was $112.8K/year, approximately $10K/year higher than Saks Fifth Avenue’s ($102.9K/year). A more affluent audience may better position Saks Global in the exclusive luxury space, particularly as it launches Authentic Luxury Group – a platform that aims to accelerate the growth of upscale brands like Barneys New York.
Further analysis of segmentation data reveals that Neiman Marcus also brings a more family-oriented audience to the Saks ecosystem. In Q4 2024, 26.2% of households in Neiman Marcus’ captured market were households with children – relatively near the 27.0% nationwide benchmark. Meanwhile, only 23.7% of households in Saks Fifth Avenue’s captured market were households with children. This suggests that the acquisition of Neiman allows Saks Global to drive more traffic from family-oriented households previously underserved by the Saks Fifth Avenue banner. Several Saks and Neiman locations are in close proximity to each other, so it’s conceivable that Saks Global will consolidate its real estate footprint in the future. If so, understanding audience segmentation could help the new parent company decide which retailer best serves the local market.
Saks Fifth Avenue’s acquisition of Neiman Marcus strengthens Saks Global’s position in luxury retail, boosting its visits share and access to a more affluent, family-oriented audience.How will the merger impact the luxury department store space moving forward? Visit Placer.ai to find out.
2024 represented a year of transformation in U.S. luxury retail. After years of evading the impact of inflation and changing consumer behavior, ultra luxury brands and retailers began experiencing some of the challenges plaguing the wider retail space over this past year. Consumers of all income groups pulled back on spending and shifted focus towards value, which is inherently at odds with the luxury retail experience. Despite the aspirational nature of social media, many consumers who had been testing the waters of the luxury market can’t sustain their demand. There’s also been a rebound of the “accessible” luxury market, with brands like Coach and other smaller chains capturing the attention of the consumer.
How did 2024 end in terms of luxury retail visitation? Generally, visitation to luxury retail brands was down throughout the year, with visits for 2024 as a whole down 4% year-over-year. This is in stark contrast to the growth in visits we observed in 2022 and 2023, a clear signal that there’s been a shift in consumer demand for luxury brands here in the U.S. The elasticity of luxury visits waned in 2024, which could be attributed to a few factors; changes in demand for specific brands this past year or lower general demand for the categories.
The most interesting shift this past year was in the segmentation of visitors to luxury retailers. Using PersonaLive visitor segments, we observed changes in the types of demographic consumer segments visiting luxury brands. The percentage of visits by Ultra Wealthy Families increased over the past three years, with the cohort making up 20% of luxury retailers’ captured market in 2024, the largest of any visitor segment.
At the same time, we noted decreases in the share of Near-Urban Diverse Families, Young Urban Singles, and City Hopefuls in luxury retailers’ trade areas. These groups fall more into the aspirational customer segment for luxury brands, meaning that they might not be frequent shoppers or may have saved up for a large purchase. Luxury retailers now have to rely more on their traditional consumer base and have narrowed their pool of potential visitors.
Beyond the retailers themselves, luxury shopping centers also saw visitation decelerate in 2024. Looking at three key luxury centers, Americana Manhasset in Manhasset, NY, Bal Harbour Shops in Miami, and Highland Park Village in Dallas, each center slowed down compared to prior years. These shopping centers house ultra luxury brands, such as Hermes, Dior, and Chanel, as well as new luxury entrants like LoveShackFancy and beauty chain Bluemercury as well as upscale dining options; despite this strong mix of tenants, it’s clear that changing consumer behavior has impacted these centers, even those that still saw growth early in the year.
There weren’t any observable changes in visitor behavior in terms of how long visitors stayed or what day of the week they visited. All three luxury shopping centers rely heavily on weekend visitors, and as consumers pull back on the frequency of discretionary purchases, there might be less incentive to visit overall. More than 50% of Americana Manhasset and Highland Park Village’s trade area is made up of Ultra Wealthy Families, and that high concentration that once benefited luxury retailers may now present hurdles in sustaining traffic growth.
Luxury brands, despite the changing tides, are the true retail trend setters, and have the ability to pivot as needed to meet changing consumer demands. In 2024, we saw the triumphant rise of brands such as Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Hermes as consumers concentrated their purchases around the hottest labels. The luxury market faces more uncertainty in 2025 as the consumer fluctuates to adapt to changes across the U.S. and the need to provide a high touch experience and inherent value is critical to garner the attention of shoppers.
RBI and Yum! Brands own and operate some of the country’s most beloved and well-known dining chains. We took a look at the visit data for 2024 to see how the two companies fared in a period of economic headwinds and uncertainty.
Restaurant Brands International (RBI) and Yum! Brands are leaders in the fast food and fast casual dining segment. Each company operates four restaurants with major footprints across the country – RBI owns Tim Hortons, Burger King, Firehouse Subs, and Popeyes, and Yum! manages Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, and The Habit Burger Grill.
Yum! Brands enjoyed visit and visits per location growth in all but one quarter, capping off Q4 2024 with an 0.8% increase in visits and a 1.6% increase in visits per location on a YoY basis. RBI’s visits and visits per location, meanwhile, hovered at or just below 2023’s levels in all but one quarter of the year, highlighting the challenges facing the dining segment in 2024.
Of the four RBI brands, Popeyes enjoyed the strongest visitation patterns throughout 2024.The chain has been a standout for the past few years – likely owing to its popular chicken sandwiches – and Popeyes performed well in 2024 as well, with YoY visit growth during most quarters.
Following Popeyes in visit growth was Tim Hortons – Canada’s leading coffee chain – which saw positive momentum in the first half of 2024, though visits dipped in the latter half of the year. And though Burger King’s visits were sluggish, the chain has been focusing on optimizing its store fleets with strong results.
While overall visits across RBI’s brands were slightly below 2023 levels, their ability to remain close to last year’s numbers – and even achieve growth in some quarters – signals resilience.
Yum! Brands delivered a strong performance in 2024, buoyed by Pizza Hut and Taco Bell’s consistent growth. Taco Bell in particular stood out, driving foot traffic through promotions like its highly popular Taco Tuesday special. The chain experienced quarterly YoY visit growth throughout the year, culminating in a 2.1% increase in Q4 2024 relative to 2023.
Pizza Hut also experienced impressive visitation growth in 2024, especially in Q2. In contrast, KFC faced challenges with declining visits, while The Habit Burger Grill’s traffic remained steady, closely tracking 2023 levels.
RBI and Yum! Brands experienced ups and downs throughout 2024, with some of their chains thriving while others showed modest visit declines.
With the new year well underway, how might RBI and Yum! work to drive increased visits to their restaurants?
Visit Placer.ai for the latest data-driven dining updates.
They say that one man’s trash is another one’s treasure – and for Burlington Stores, opportunity knocked when Bed Bath & Beyond selected Burlington Stores as the successful bidder for many of its leases, with the latter taking over 44 locations for $12 million. Per CNBC, many of these new venues are scattered across the country.
Using Placer data, we are able to compare visitation trends to these locations when they were branded as a Bed Bath & Beyond store versus when the new leases took over.
In Avondale, AZ, the new Burlington store is receiving over twice the traffic (241.8% more visits per square foot) during the holiday shopping season in December 2024 compared to a similar time frame when it was a Bed Bath & Beyond in December 2021.
In comparing shopping center frequented by visitors to the analyzed venue, the profile of the shopper has changed somewhat. While both sets of shoppers frequented the nearby Gateway Crossings, Westgate Entertainment District, and Arrowhead Towne Center, Burlington shoppers had a penchant for Desert Sky Mall and Tanger Outlets Phoenix, whereas the Bed Bath & Beyond shoppers preferred Palm Valley Pavillions West and Coldwater Plaza.
Whereas the top four segments have remained consistent for both banners, Burlington attracts a higher proportion of Melting Pot Families - over 2x the rate compared to when it was a Bed Bath & Beyond.
In a head to head comparison using comparable months, Burlington attracted over 3x the traffic in its first year of opening, compared to when it was a Bed Bath and Beyond two years prior.
The number of visits across numerous visit durations was considerably higher to Burlington, and the average dwell time increased to 41 minutes compared to 31 minutes when it was a Bed Bath & Beyond.
While this is just one example of a Burlington takeover, it goes to show that while the location may stay the same, the audience it attracts will vary and this Burlington is off to an excellent start.
In recent years, Tennessee has emerged as a surprising migration hotspot. The state, which offers a growing tech scene, business-friendly tax regulations, and a relatively low cost of living is rapidly gaining popularity and attracting inbound migration from across the nation.
Where are newcomers coming from – and where within Tennessee are they going? Using Placer.ai’s Migration Trends Report, we took a closer look at the migration data to gain a more thorough understanding of the shifts taking place in the Volunteer State.
The state of Tennessee has experienced significant positive migration over the past few years. Between July 2020 and July 2024, the cumulative net migrated percent of Tennessee’s population increased steadily, with 2.1% of the state’s July 2024 population having moved there from elsewhere in the country over the previous four years.
Diving deeper into Tennessee’s migration patterns reveal that between July 2020 and July 2024, the state had net positive domestic migration from 41 out of 50 states – meaning Tennessee gained more residents from these states than it lost to those states. Illinois and California together accounted for almost 40% of Tennessee’s net positive domestic migration during the period, and the state also drew a large contingent (33.6% of net positive domestic migration) from the East Coast.
While Memphis, Tennessee’s second-largest city, has made headlines in recent years for its declining population, other metro areas in the state are experiencing strong interest from newcomers.
Between July 2020 and July 2024, the Nashville CBSA (core-based statistical area) received the largest share of net positive domestic migration, with 24.6% of newcomers to Tennessee settling in the Music City. Nashville has been establishing itself as a tech hub, a factor which may have driven its strong net migration.
Knoxville came in second, welcoming 18.7% of the positive net migration to Tennessee between July 2020 and July 2024. Other CBSAs rounding out the top five were Chattanooga (9.0% share of positive net migration), Kingsport-Bristol (8.7%), and Johnson City (6.0%).
The influx of new residents into Tennessee is not only helping drive the state’s population up – it’s also reshaping its demographic composition. Zooming into the top five CBSAs mentioned above reveals that newcomers generally are coming from CBSAs of origin where the weighted median age is younger than the existing population.
The only metro area bucking this trend was Clarksville, where incoming residents were slightly older than the youthful median 31 years of its residents, though this may be a reflection of its strong university and military presence.
The movement of younger people into these up-and-coming CBSAs reflects the opportunities available for people to grow their careers and put down roots in a state that is quickly becoming a hub for growth and opportunity.
Tennessee seems to have reinvented itself as a destination for young people seeking out opportunities for growth. By continuing to foster a business-friendly environment and supporting its diverse communities, the state is well-positioned to thrive.
Visit Placer.ai to keep up with the latest data-driven migration trends.
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.
