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About the Mall Index: The Index analyzes data from 100 top-tier indoor malls, 100 open-air shopping centers (not including outlet malls) and 100 outlet malls across the country, in both urban and suburban areas. Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the country.
After a brief calendar-driven slowdown in April, May saw a resurgence in foot traffic to malls. Indoor malls led the way with an 8.6% YoY increase, followed by open-air shopping centers and outlet malls, which experienced YoY jumps of 6.2% and 5.7%, respectively.
This uptick is likely due to a variety of factors – from warmer weather to rising consumer confidence amidst slowly easing inflation. And malls’ particularly strong showing on two of May’s most important retail milestones – Mother’s day and Memorial day also helped propel the segment forward.
Taking a closer look at visit patterns to the three mall types on Mother’s Day and Memorial Day shows how significant these special days were for mall foot traffic. On Mother’s Day (May 12th), indoor malls, open-air shopping centers, and outlet malls saw respective visit spikes of 15.8%, 26.0%, and 11.4%, compared to an average year-to-date (YTD) Sunday. And Mother’s Day visits were up significantly YoY as well – further highlighting the category’s robust positioning.
All three mall types also saw impressive visit bumps on Memorial Day – this time compared to an average YTD Monday. The relative spikes were bigger across the board, since malls tend to be less busy on Mondays than on Sundays. But for outlet malls, Memorial Day visits really hit it out of the park – with foot traffic up by a whopping 123.3%. As a day off work featuring plenty of markdowns, Memorial Day is an ideal time to make the longer trip to an outlet mall and hunt for bargains.
And in another promising sign for the category, Memorial Day visits to all three mall types increased YoY – showing that despite continued headwinds, malls are still on the rise.
Comparing weekly mall visits to an early January baseline also shows the varying impact of different holidays on the three mall types.
On Easter, and even more so on Memorial Day – an extended weekend very much focused on savings – outlet malls won the day. On these holidays, shoppers may be more likely to have the time and state of mind to make a day of their shopping trip and lean into the treasure-hunting experience.
But on Mother’s Day, more upscale open-air shopping centers took the lead, as consumers embraced a more unique and luxurious shopping experience. Still, all three mall types drew increased traffic on the different special days – showing that each can benefit from a variety of calendar highlights.
Malls’ strong May performance – especially on the holidays – shows that shopping centers are on the upswing once again. This could be an encouraging sign for the category heading into the summer, and may hint at a promising shopping season during the warm months ahead.
For more data-driven retail insights, visit our blog at Placer.ai.
The Placer.ai Nationwide Office Building Index: The office building index analyzes foot traffic data from some 1,000 office buildings across the country. It only includes commercial office buildings, and commercial office buildings with retail offerings on the first floor (like an office building that might include a national coffee chain on the ground floor). It does NOT include mixed-use buildings that are both residential and commercial.
With summer nearly upon us, we dove into the data to see how the return-to-office fared in May 2024. Did the post-pandemic visit recovery trajectory observed in April continue apace? And which major regional hub saw the most YoY visit growth?
The office recovery is still very much underway. Visits to office buildings nationwide in May 2024 were just 32.2% lower than in May 2019 – and slightly higher than they’ve been during any other month since COVID. Year-over-year (YoY), office foot traffic in May increased by 8.6%.
And drilling down into the data for 11 major business hubs nationwide shows recovery continuing unabated throughout (most of) the country. For New York, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, May 2024 was the single busiest in-office month since February 2020. And for Miami, Washington, D.C., and Denver, it was the second-busiest month.
Consistent with recent trends, Miami continued to lead the post-COVID recovery pack, followed by New York: Foot traffic to the two cities was just 12.8% and 17.3%, respectively, below May 2019 levels.
But the data also contained some surprises. Atlanta, which saw the biggest YoY visit jump of any analyzed city, pulled into third place – outpacing Washington, D.C. And Houston, the only city to see a YoY decline in visits, fell significantly in the rankings.
Why did Houston YoY office visits drop in May? A look at weekly YoY visits to local office buildings confirms that this was likely due to the extreme weather that engulfed the city during the second half of the month. On Thursday, May 16th, Houston was hit by a particularly violent storm that caused significant damage to the downtown area – breaking windows, downing power lines, and leaving a battered city in its wake. Additional severe weather events pummeled the region as the month wore on – forcing many residents to hunker down at home. And it was when the storm hit that YoY visits began to turn negative, with the week of May 20th seeing a significant 20.0% drop. As the weather improves in the southeast Texas hub, office recovery will likely resume.
Five years after COVID upended office routines, employees and companies are still feeling out the ideal balance between WFH and in-person interaction. Will office attendance increase or decrease as the weather warms up?
Follow Placer.ai’s data-driven office analyses to find out.
With summer upon us, we dove into the data to explore Memorial Day foot traffic trends. How did people spend the long weekend? And how did major dining and retail categories fare on the holiday?
Gas stations were bustling on Friday, May 24th, as people filled their tanks in anticipation of a long, travel or activity-filled weekend. Visits to gas stations were up 32.3% compared to an average day this year – and the highest they’ve been since January 1st, 2024.
Year over year (YoY), gas station foot traffic increased 1.5%. And compared to pre-COVID, too, gas station visits were up 1.8% – showing that people are once again hitting the road, whether to go on weekend getaways or to visit nearby parks and attractions.
Indeed, Americans partake in many different activities on Memorial Day – from attending parades and memorial events to sight-seeing or enjoying the great outdoors. And visiting museums is a time-honored holiday tradition: On Monday, May 27th, museums nationwide drew a whopping 71.5% more visits than on an average Monday this year.
YoY, Museums were 1.6% busier on May 27th than in 2023 – and museum-goers spent more time exploring the exhibits (who says attention spans are decreasing?), browsing the gift shop, or fueling up at the cafeteria.
Memorial Day weekend is a prime time for picnics and barbecues. But for many Americans, it’s also an opportunity to enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant with friends and family.
Like on Mother’s Day, full-service restaurants get a much bigger Memorial Day visit boost than either fast-casual eateries or fast-food (QSR) joints. But all three dining segments enjoyed a significant YoY holiday visit increase this year – proving that despite still-high food-away-from-home prices, people are finding room in their budgets to treat themselves on their day off.
And the last Monday in May is, of course, a big day for savings, on everything from big-ticket items like mattresses, furniture, and major appliances, to clothing and other discretionary items. This year, apparel stores saw the biggest Memorial Day visit spike, with foot traffic up 40.5% compared to an average day and 88.2% compared to an average Monday. But home furnishing stores, home improvement stores, electronics retailers, and (to a lesser extent), grocery stores, all experienced considerable holiday visit spikes of their own.
And comparing Memorial Day retail activity to last year shows most of the analyzed categories seeing minor visit increases or holding steady – no small feat in today’s challenging retail environment. Like dining segments, grocery stores impressed with a 9.3% YoY visit increase – perhaps buoyed by consumers buying last-minute ingredients for their picnics or barbecues.
People were on the move this year on Memorial Day – fueling up their cars, and enjoying museums, restaurants, and retail sales. What does the rest of the summer hold in store for American consumers?
Follow Placer.ai’s data driven analyses to find out.
Known as the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas has always been a tourist hotspot. But for a growing segment of the population, Vegas is also becoming a popular place to lay down permanent roots. We dove into the tourism and migration data for the region in order to take a closer look at Las Vegas’ changing visitor and resident populations.
Like many vacation destinations, Las Vegas took a significant tourism hit at the onset of COVID. But with travel restrictions now a thing of the past, visitation to Las Vegas is roaring back.
Analyzing travel to Las Vegas using the Travel & Tourism Report shows that since the halfway mark of 2023, the total number of visit nights spent by travelers in the city (i.e. by those staying up 31 days) have consistently outperformed pre-pandemic levels. And with the sole exception of July 2023, visit nights have increased year-over-year (YoY) as well.
Alongside robust demand for experiences, investment in new, one-of-a-kind entertainment venues like the Sphere – which opened towards the end of 2023 – has likely played a part in reigniting tourism.
Who are the tourists driving this comeback? To explore the demographic characteristics of today’s visitors to Las Vegas, we zoomed in on the Las Vegas Strip – the iconic epicenter of it all, where most of the city’s luxury hotels, shops, restaurants, and casinos are concentrated.
Analysis of the Strip’s captured market with demographic data from AGS: Demographic Dimensions reveals that as tourist activity in the city began to pick up again, the median household income (HHI) of visitors to the Strip increased steadily. In Q1 2024, the median HHI of visitors to the Strip reached $93.0K, perhaps aided by tourism surrounding this year’s Super Bowl.
This indicates that the Strip is becoming a more upscale visit destination, and that demand for Vegas’ luxury offerings are driving visits. As more consumers with ample discretionary dollars make their way to Vegas, pricey shows – in addition to retail – are likely to become ever-more lucrative advertising opportunities.
A tourism boom isn’t the only phenomenon making waves in Sin City. In recent years, more and more out-of-towners have made Greater Las Vegas their home, and unlike some pandemic-era migration hotspots, Las Vegas continues to attract new residents.
Migration data indicates that many of those moving in are high-earners who are likely incentivized by the cost of living and tax benefits in the region.
Between December 2019 and December 2023, the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise CBSA experienced net-positive domestic migration of 3.9%. In other words, the total number of people that moved to Las Vegas over the four-year period from elsewhere in the U.S., minus those that left, was equivalent to 3.9% of the region’s December 2023 population. Meanwhile, analysis of the CBSA’s origin to destination HHI ratio reveals that between December 2019 and December 2023, the median HHI of incoming residents was 20% higher than the median HHI of the local population.
And comparing migration data in December 2023 to December 2020, 2021, and 2022, revealed consistently positive net migration and origin to destination HHI ratios in the years since 2019. This indicates that the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise CBSA continues to attract many new and affluent residents. When planning future amenities and services, the region may want to take into account the opportunities – and challenges – presented by these population shifts.
Be it for a quick trip or full-on relocation, Las Vegas remains a prime destination in both the U.S. tourism and domestic migration landscapes. New entertainment venues and amenities keep Vegas top-of-mind for upscale vacationers while economic incentives drive moves from a high-income cohort.
For more tourism and migration insights, visit Placer.ai.
Last summer’s touring sensations Taylor Swift and Beyonce held concerts that will remain in the hearts of many. With thousands in attendance, both live tours were absolute juggernauts. It was like an adrenaline shot for the performing arts category after COVID-induced closures. Remember the days of drive-in concerts as a panacea? While these two reigning Queens of Music took top billing, there are hundreds of local venues around the country that cater to smaller audiences at a time but are no less impactful on their communities. These are the heart and soul for local plays, musicals, symphonies, operas, touring bands, and art exhibitions. Fundraisers are often held at community performance venues, and they can be incubators for performers to move on to a larger stage.
Placer recently attended the California Presenters Conference, which includes representatives from California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Programming directors, events managers, and community liaisons all met to share best practices, challenges, and successes. One box office manager, Jonathan Lizardo of the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University, noted that “Nostalgia” was an important theme at his performing arts center, with a recent live show of the Animaniacs in Concert proving to be a hit with adults and kids alike. In this case, his patrons were seeking some escapism and levity in their lives. On the other end of the spectrum, the arts can also be a powerful way to engage the audience in more serious issues, as one panel on Responding to Global Conflict at arts venues drew a crowd. Another topic of interest was the importance of engaging youth with the arts, through school-sponsored visits or after school enrichment. Many University performing arts centers reps were also in attendance, such as USC Vision and Voices, Stanford Live, Caltech Presents, and Seattle University.
Placer’s presentation touched on macrotrends around discretionary spend, examples of venue attendance around the US, an analysis of the visitation trends, audience profile, and economic impact of Taylor Swift’s US tour, and in depth look at a select group of performing arts centers in Arizona to see the role that they play in their community.
Mesa Arts Center has had the highest overall visitation in the past 12 months. Located in Mesa, AZ, it encompasses over 210,000 sq ft and was completed in 2005 at the cost of $95 million. In addition to four performance venues, it is also home to Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. Programming is suited to a multitude of interests, including National Geographic Live, Broadway, classical music, popular music, ethnic artists, western artists, and dance. It also offers Art Studio for visual arts classes; Opportunities for Ages 55+ such as flamenco classes; and Festivals and Events, such as Dia de Los Muertos. Within the theaters complex, there are four theaters--the 1,570-seat Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater, 550-seat Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater, 200-seatNesbitt/Elliott Playhouse, and the 99-seat Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio.
The Chandler Center for the Arts recently celebrated its 35th season. Upcoming performances include ballet like Coppelia or live music, such as Billy Joel’s The Stranger. Entertaining acts such as Stomp, Piano Battle, and Cirque du Soleil will also make their way over during the 2024-2025 season. Located in downtown Chandler, the venue includes three dynamic performance spaces (the 1,500-seat Main Stage, the 350-seat Hal Bogle Theatre, and the 250-seat Recital Hall) as well as two extensive art galleries (The Gallery at CCA and Vision Gallery).
While Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts had the fewest absolute visits in the past 12 months, its year-over-year variance increase has been the highest.
What might account for the difference, one might wonder. Fortunately, Placer data enables one to compare a venue against itself in order to highlight differences from one year to the next. According to the 2023-2024 calendar, it appears that Hubbard Street Dance Chicago playing 2 nights in a row, was a hit with the audience during the week of Jan 29-Feb 4.
It appears the increase in visits cannot be attributed to a single segment. In fact, visits across multiple segments increased year-over-year when comparing May 2023 - April 2024 (blue) vs. May 2022-April 2023 (red) per Spatial.ai PersonaLive.
The most recent 12 months also attracted visits from a much larger trade area.
Migration may also be a factor in the increase of visits to the Scottsdale Performing Arts Center. Placer’s Migration Dashboard is noting an increase in both residents and seasonal visitors over the years.
Eatertainment chains – entertainment concepts that combine dining and play – are thriving in the current experience economy. We dove into the data for game and restaurant chains Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment (acquired by Dave & Buster’s in 2022) to better understand how eatertainment is driving success in 2024.
The past few years have been challenging ones for restaurants. But eatertainment has a special draw – and since November 2023, both Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment have seen mainly positive YoY visit growth.
In January 2024, visits slowed in the wake of extreme weather that rocked much of the country and led many would-be diners to stay home. But in February and March 2024 things picked up again, with the two chains seeing YoY visit growth ranging from 4.6% to 10.6%.
Again in April 2024, both Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment experienced minor visit gaps. But a closer look at weekly visits reveals that this was largely due to a calendar shift: April 2024 had one fewer Saturday than April 2023 – the chains' busiest day of the week by far. (In Q1 2024, Saturdays accounted for 33.8% of total visits to Main Event Entertainment and 33.3% of visits to Dave & Buster’s). And during nearly every individual week of April 2024, the brands maintained strongly positive momentum.
Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment recent visit growth has been partly fueled by the two chains’ growing store counts. And a deeper dive into how the chains’ visitation patterns have evolved since COVID shows why they are well-positioned for continued expansion – and success.
One factor likely contributing to the eatertainment brands’ strength is the increasing loyalty of their visitors. Dave & Buster’s leveled up its rewards program in 2021 – and has been upping its loyalty game ever since. Members can access special deals, like the chain’s recent 50% off food promotion, and earn points by playing games or ordering off the menu. Main Event, too, keeps customers coming back with a variety of promotions, from Monday Night Madness to Kids Eat Free Tuesdays – a particularly attractive offer for the chain’s family-oriented audience.
And since 2019, both chains have seen a steady increase in the share of visits made by customers frequenting the chain at least twice a month.
In addition, both Dave & Buster’s and Main Event appear to be finding success by leaning into the evening daypart.
Back in 2019, Main Event introduced a late-night menu and announced that all of its stores would be open until at least 12:00 AM – and even later on Fridays and Saturdays. (Even before that, some of its stores were open during the wee hours). Dave & Buster’s has also taken steps to increase its night-time business with special late-night deals and happy hours.
And location analytics indicates that this strategy is bearing fruit. Over the past several years, both brands have experienced an increase in their share of late-night visits (i.e. those taking place between 9:00 PM and 2:00 AM). And in Q1 2024, Dave & Buster’s and Main Event saw 23.9% and 27.3% of their total visits during the late-night daypart, respectively.
While it might be assumed that at-home entertainment and the "Netflix effect" pose a threat to eatertainment chains (particularly during the evening hours, as there is more content than ever to get home to), the data suggests that many consumers are staying out late for social dining and entertainment.
Demand for dining and social experiences continues to grow. As consumer behavior and demographics evolve, how will these eatertainment chains perform and which new concepts may rise to prominence as 2024 progresses?
Visit Placer.ai to find out.
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.
