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Even as overall retail and dining visits show signs of slowing amid economic uncertainty, dollar stores continue to thrive. In July and August 2025, overall foot traffic to Dollar General and Dollar Tree rose 2.7% and 3.9% year over year (YoY), with average visits per location up 1.8% and 5.7%, respectively.
This momentum has not necessarily come at the expense of other discount giants like Walmart and Target. But what does the dollar-store surge mean for the grocery sector? We dove into the data to find out, focusing on category leader Dollar General. Is the retailer siphoning visits away from supermarkets, or is it serving as a complementary stop alongside other formats?
Over the past several years, Dollar General has steadily deepened its grocery presence. Fresh produce rollouts, expanded frozen assortments, and a focus on “everyday essentials” have helped shift its positioning from an occasional convenience stop to a more frequent shopping destination.
Foot traffic trends align with this shift. From Q2 2019 to Q2 2025, Dollar General’s share of grocery visits – across both traditional and value chains – rose consistently, while traditional chains like Kroger and Albertsons lost nearly four percentage points. Value grocers, meanwhile, (i.e. Aldi) remained stable through 2022 before gaining ground themselves, suggesting that Dollar General has primarily pulled shoppers away from traditional supermarkets even as other budget-oriented grocers strengthened.
Cross-visitation data also supports this pattern. Kroger visitors are increasingly supplementing their shopping routines with Dollar General, while Dollar General customers are gradually reducing their reliance on Kroger. This points to Dollar General’s growth coming, at least in part, at the expense of traditional grocers.
So far, this shift has yet to make a major dent in grocery performance. Even as the share of Dollar General shoppers visiting Kroger has declined, Kroger’s overall traffic has remained relatively steady – up 1.3% between Q2 2019 and Q2 2022, and down just 1.2% between Q2 2022 and Q2 2025. This indicates that Kroger has so far managed to offset losses to Dollar General by drawing in new visits, potentially including shoppers trading down from restaurants to prepared foods in the grocery aisle. Looking ahead, grocers may continue to hold their ground by adapting to consumers' changing food routines, even as dollar stores expand their role in food retail.
Meanwhile, Dollar General’s relationship with Aldi has evolved differently. From 2019 to 2022, overlap between the two chains held flat or dipped slightly. But from 2022 to 2025, cross-visitation rose in both directions: More Dollar General shoppers visited Aldi, and vice versa. The pattern suggests the two are increasingly functioning as complementary stops for value-driven households – similar to how Dollar General coexists with Walmart, Target, and Costco. Aldi's positioning as a complement rather than a direct competitor is likely also one of the tailwinds behind the grocer's sustained nationwide growth.
And these patterns extend nationwide. Dollar General’s footprint remains strongest in the South, where it accounted for one in five visits to grocery stores in Q2 2025. But the chain’s fastest grocery visit growth is occurring elsewhere. Between 2019 and 2025, its grocery visit share climbed by over four points in the Midwest and more than three points in the Northeast. And despite Dollar General’s relatively limited presence in the West, it nearly doubled its grocery visit share over the same period.
Location analytics further reveal that Dollar General’s growth has been fueled largely by its dominance in short visits – ”in-and-out” trips lasting less than ten minutes for essentials like milk, bread, eggs, or snacks. Dollar General now accounts for 28.0% of all under-ten minute visits to Dollar General, traditional grocery stores, and value grocery stores. This is a sharp increase from the 24.1% relative short visit share going to Dollar General in Q2 2019.
Dollar General's share of extended visits (over 10 minutes) also grew between Q2 2019 and Q2 2025, but these still account for just 10.2% of combined Dollar General and grocery visits. Together, these trends underscore how Dollar General has solidified its role as a quick-stop destination, carving out a niche that complements rather than fully replaces the traditional grocery trip.
As Dollar General continues expanding its footprint and grocery offerings, its impact on how – and where – Americans shop for food is poised to keep growing. By capturing short-visit traffic and offering a broader grocery selection, the chain is reshaping the competitive landscape and prompting both traditional and value grocers to adapt.
For the most up-to-date dollar store visit data, 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.
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Book retailer Barnes & Noble has been making strategic moves to strengthen its position in the marketplace. The chain, which prioritizes building a local, independent bookstore feel while leveraging its size and purchasing power, has been steadily acquiring beloved independent bookstore chains. It first acquired Colorado chain Tattered Cover in 2023, and just announced the acquisition of Books Inc. in the Bay Area.
We took a closer look at recent visit trends and compared Barnes & Noble’s customer behavior with Books Inc. to understand how this acquisition may help B&N extend its experiential, community-driven model – while giving Books Inc. the scale and pull of a national brand.
Some of the most successful brick-and-mortar retailers today are tapping into consumer desire for experiential retail and community – and Barnes & Noble is no exception. The chain has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, guided by new leadership and a deliberate shift toward bookstores that feel independent while being part of a national brand.
This approach seems to be resonating with shoppers: Throughout 2025, visits to B&N have risen consistently on a YoY basis. And average visits per location have increased most months as well, showing that even as the bookseller grows its fleet, existing stores are thriving. Building on that momentum, B&N is pushing ahead with expansion – beyond its recent acquisitions, the chain plans to open 60 new stores in 2025.
Barnes & Noble has achieved what many booksellers struggle to do: establish itself as an experiential destination for book lovers. Store managers have the freedom to curate selections tailored to their local communities, giving each location its own personality while maintaining the reach and resources of a large retailer. And while the company has acquired smaller, struggling brands, it has done so in a way that preserves their identity while giving them the purchasing power and financial cushion of a major national retailer. The latest example is Bay Area independent bookstore chain Books Inc., which will keep its name even as it operates under new management.
Location analytics reveal meaningful differences in customer behavior at the two chains. At a Barnes & Noble in Redwood City, CA, 65.1% of visitors stayed more than 15 minutes, compared to 57.2% at a Books Inc. just 5.5 miles away. Longer visits reflect the success of Barnes & Noble’s experiential approach – stores designed not just for quick purchases, but for browsing, discovery, and lingering.
The data also highlight a seasonal divergence. Barnes & Noble sees dramatic surges around key shopping moments – in December 2024, visits to the Redwood City B&N surged 47.5% above average, while Books Inc.’s increase was a more modest 16.4%. While Books Inc. has remained a steady draw throughout the year, Barnes & Noble has carved out a distinct role as a holiday destination, competing not only with other bookstores but also with broader categories like gifting and entertainment – a crucial differentiator in a retail sector where fourth-quarter performance can define a year.
Taken together, these patterns suggest that under B&N’s leadership, Books Inc. could deepen its appeal as both a community hub and a shopping destination. If management successfully blends Books Inc.’s historic local ties with B&N’s proven ability to capture extended visits and seasonal demand, the chain may see more sustained engagement and stronger sales peaks.
Barnes & Noble’s acquisition of Books Inc. has the potential to strengthen both brands. For B&N, it reinforces a community-first strategy that independent bookstores have long excelled at – and that continues to resonate with readers. For Books Inc., it brings the pull and financial stability of a national chain.
To explore more chains leading the visit growth pack, check out our 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.
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Department stores have faced significant challenges in recent years, with inflationary pressures and the rise of off-price competitors weighing on performance. Yet Dillard’s has managed to buck the trend. We dove into the data to explore some of the factors helping Dillard’s stay ahead of its peers.
Better-than-expected recent earnings beats notwithstanding, department stores have faced considerable headwinds in recent years, with store closures and an overall category contraction leading to visit slowdowns. But Dillard’s has remained ahead of the curve – a resilience reflected not only in steady shopper traffic but also in a stock price that has surged as the chain continues to outperform peers.
While overall department store visits fell year-over-year (YoY) through much of 2025, Dillard’s posted positive traffic growth in several key months – most notably May, July, and August – and consistently outpaced a wider segment that saw continued declines.
Location analytics reveal three factors behind Dillard’s recent success: a consistent emphasis on fundamentals that have turned its stores into weekend retail destinations, a Sunbelt-focused footprint, and a thriving clearance network.
First, the fundamentals: Dillard’s has consistently excelled at the basics – maintaining clean, well-staffed stores, prioritizing essentials over fads, and offering an in-store experience defined by helpful sales associates. The fruits from this investment can be seen from its position as a bona fide destination. Between January and August 2025, 42.9% of Dillard’s visits took place over the weekend (Saturdays and Sundays), compared to 40.0% for other department stores. And almost half of Dillard’s weekend visitors traveled more than ten miles to shop (see chart below), versus just 36.5% for other department stores.
The pronounced weekend shift indicates that Dillard’s has become a destination retailer that shoppers go out of their way to visit – a powerful marker of brand strength in a challenging environment.
Dillard's concentration in growing Sunbelt markets like Texas and Florida may also mean that Dillard's is operating in markets relatively favorable to its offerings. The chain has no footprint in the Northeast, where the department store segment has seen the largest YoY declines. Instead, most of its stores are in the South and West where wider department store traffic trends have been generally more favorable.
Last but not least, Dillard’s successful clearance centers have also bolstered the retailer. Out of its 272 stores, 28 operate as clearance centers, and these locations are thriving.
While overall year-to-date visits to Dillard’s remained essentially flat YoY between January and August 2025 – aligning with recent earnings reports – visits to clearance stores rose 7.5% YoY. These outlets are driving meaningful incremental traffic at a time when value-conscious shopping is reshaping consumer behavior.
By combining regional strength, thriving clearance centers, and destination appeal, Dillard’s has carved out a rare advantage in a challenged sector. And with its recent acquisition of Longview Mall in Texas, the chain is showing that it’s not just surviving today’s headwinds – it’s betting on the future of department store retail.
For more data-driven department store insights explore 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.
At a time when much of the retail industry looks and feels the same, many retailers are working to cement their brand identity and individuality with consumers, which can help set them apart from their competitors. Finding a competitive advantage can be hard to come by in 2025, as consumers hunt for value wherever they can find it and loyalty to any individual chain is low. This challenge is especially true in the apparel category, where assortments across retail banners have become more similar over time and retailers rely on the same trend forecasting, leading to a lack of newness in the market for shoppers.
One option to freshen up merchandising and offer something unique to potential visitors is through category expansion. Creating more opportunities for consumers to engage with different types of products in a single location could improve visit frequency and overall customer satisfaction, and allow the brand's ethos to expand beyond its traditional borders. Gap Inc. recently announced a new initiative in line with this theory; Both Gap & Old Navy will launch beauty lines in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Old Navy is also slated to launch a true collection of handbags.
Accessories and beauty are natural product expansion categories for retailers that specialize in fashion; for other apparel brands such as J.Crew, Madewell and French label Sézane, accessories have helped to bolster their business and deepen their relationships with shoppers. Luxury apparel and accessory brands have long intertwined their labels with beauty as well, which has helped to spark the prestige beauty industry. In examining the potential opportunity for both retailers and the expanded categories through the lens of retail visits, it’s clear that the mainstream apparel brands can benefit from creating more opportunities for consumers to engage with different products.
Gap Inc.’s planned launch of beauty lines at both Old Navy and Gap tap into the excitement generated by the beauty industry since the pandemic. Recently, the beauty space has faced more headwinds, with increased market saturation and changing consumer behavior softening demand for the category.
But beauty still has a lot of potential momentum ahead, with consumers' continued focus on health, wellness and appearance as well as the rising demand for more affordable indulgences and luxuries in the face of a challenging consumer environment. And while traffic to beauty and self care retail has remained relatively flat in 2025 so far compared to 2024, the industry is still lapping exceptionally strong gains from the past few years.
Gap Inc. has a strong opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the beauty category. A significant share of Gap and Old Navy shoppers also frequent Ulta, with Old Navy showing the higher overlap (42.2% of Old Navy visitors also visited Ulta between January and August 2025, compared to 38.1% of Gap visitors) – likely one reason the beauty line will debut there first. The audience crossover between Gap Inc.'s leading banners and Ulta highlights clear demand for beauty among Gap Inc.'s customer base and opens the door for the company's apparel brands to capture a portion of that spend over time.
Importantly, both Ulta and Sephora have leaned into expanding their private-label offerings, reflecting consumers’ growing comfort with trying beauty products outside of traditional beauty brands. That shift suggests shoppers may also be willing to embrace beauty lines from retailers like Gap and Old Navy, giving Gap Inc. a more favorable entry point into the category.
Gap Inc.’s most recent release about the project mentioned adding beauty consultants to the Old Navy stores during this fall’s rollout of the category. Dedicated product knowledge and expertise is incredibly important in the beauty space, and visitors tend to stay longer to browse and learn. If Old Navy could capture even a few extra minutes of shoppers’ attention, conversion and dwell times could rise during the remainder of 2025.
Similar to the brands’ expansion into beauty, a new push into the accessories category might just be what Gap Inc. needs to further cement itself as a steward of American fashion. Accessories, including handbags, have had a challenging few years in the post-pandemic period. The category has become more fragmented, and consumers have shown an inclination for fewer logos and branded products. And, the Gap brand has already tested the strategy earlier this year with its collaboration with travel brand Beis.
Old Navy is the first brand to release a robust handbag offering, under the creative direction of Zac Posen – and there is evidence to suggest that handbags might be a great new expansion for the brand. Looking at Old Navy and Gap's visitor habits shows that there are high levels of cross-visitation with off-price retailers, including T.J.Maxx, Marshall’s and Ross Dress For Less.
The off-price channel has had the benefit of being able to curate an assortment of designer and branded handbags at value-driven price points, which has made it more difficult for other retailers to compete. Old Navy focusing on creating products that are value-driven but also fashion forward might prove them to be a worthy adversary in the value apparel space.
But the data also highlights that Gap may hold an even stronger opportunity in accessories.. The chain hasn’t launched its renewed accessories program, but the company recently announced hires hailing from leading accessories giants that certainly can help the brand shape its handbag identity. For consumers who are focused on trend-right styles at a more accessible price point, Gap may be able to find its footing, especially against the backdrop of economic headwinds for many American consumers.
Shoppers may also be looking for alternatives to luxury accessory brands over the next few years – especially those consumers who are considered more aspirational, or only purchase luxury goods occasionally due to their levels of discretionary spending. Foot traffic to luxury apparel and accessories brands shows a slowdown in luxury apparel's offline growth throughout 2025, and insights show that the visits are becoming more consolidated around wealthier shoppers.
Gap Inc.’s expansion into beauty and accessories can help the company drive differentiation in a retail environment where sameness dominates. By entering categories that naturally complement fashion, Gap Inc. has an opportunity to extend its brand identity beyond apparel, deepen customer engagement, and capture wallet share from both loyal shoppers and those trading down from luxury.
Success will hinge on execution: delivering value-driven yet fashion-forward products, ensuring knowledgeable in-store experiences, and crafting compelling brand storytelling. If Gap Inc. can leverage these new categories effectively, its beauty and accessories strategy could not only boost near-term traffic and sales but also lay the foundation for sustainable long-term growth in a highly competitive market.
Shifts away from designer handbags, both in the luxury and mid-tier segments, may create the perfect opportunity for Gap to stake its claim. The industry is still lacking affordable, fashion driven accessories that can appeal to a wide array of consumers. If the merchandising and brand storytelling can create a compelling reason to buy for shoppers, the brand might be able to extend the reinvention that has been working for the retailer throughout 2025.
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.
At the height of the pandemic, many wondered whether beauty (retailers like Ulta and Bath & Body Works) and fitness (i.e. gyms and health clubs) foot traffic would ever recover from the many months of home workouts and social distancing. Several years on, however, visits to these retail spaces have not only rebounded, but well-surpassed pre-pandemic levels. We dove into the data for the Beauty and Fitness spaces to find out how consumer behavior has changed and what might be contributing to these categories’ sustained foot traffic growth.
The graph below shows that visits to the Beauty & Self Care and Fitness spaces followed a consistently upward trajectory between 2021 and 2024, but their paths are now beginning to diverge.
Beauty – which expanded its offline footprint more rapidly compared to fitness between 2021 and 2024 – now appears to be plateauing. Ulta, one of the major beneficiaries of the post-pandemic beauty boom, recently raised its full-year guidance, while still expressing caution around global trade uncertainty and noting deceleration in higher priced fragrance and cosmetics. Some executives also report value-conscious shoppers as becoming more selective in their spending instead of chasing every new beauty trend. As a result, even though the sector remains well above pre-pandemic levels, rising consumer caution is putting the brakes on further gains – at least for now.
Meanwhile, fitness traffic continues to grow consistently year over year, perhaps aided by increasingly health-conscious Gen Z and millennial consumers. Although fitness' gains over the pre-pandemic baseline are not as large as those seen in beauty, the category’s steady momentum reflects an increasing consumer focus on wellness and signals substantial potential for future growth.
One factor behind the rise in fitness visits is likely that gymgoers are working out more frequently.
The share of visitors going to the gym around once a week (four times a month or more) increased between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025. Even more impressive is the increased visit frequency at the start of the year, a traditionally strong period for fitness traffic.
Fitness chains typically see a surge in visits at the start of the year as gym visitors – both new sign-ups and existing members – renew their commitment to healthy lifestyles as part of their New Year’s resolutions.
And the data suggests that gym-goers hit the gym more frequently during this period, as well. Close examination of the shaded area in the graph below shows that the share of gym-goers that went at least four times a month (about once a week) during the months Q1 2025 has increased compared to Q1 2024. And the most recent data reveals that frequency has remained higher this year compared to 2024 throughout the summer as well, indicating that visitor frequency is continuing to grow more robust.
In a period of economic uncertainty, gym-goers are getting more value out of their memberships than in the past, and seem to be more likely to join, and remain members, throughout the year.
Even as visits to the beauty space surged since 2019, the length of the average visit has decreased, highlighting the evolving but still critical role of physical stores.
Analysis of average visit duration for three leading chains – Ulta, Bath & Body Works, and Sally Beauty Supply – shows that the average visit length dropped across all three chains between H1 2019 and H1 2024. This trend may reflect the growing influence of social commerce in product discovery and digital sales, reducing the need for extended in-store browsing.
Yet, physical stores remain a powerful driver of engagement: many consumers still seek immersive experiences and want to try and buy products in-person. Retailers are enhancing the appeal of in-store shopping through cutting-edge beauty tech that connect digital discovery with physical retail spaces. Notably, between H1 2024 and H1 2025, the analyzed brands experienced a modest rebound in visit length – further evidence that physical stores continue to serve as vital tools for consumer engagement.
Foot traffic to both the beauty and fitness spaces has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. However, value-consciousness is currently putting pressure on beauty retail while health-consciousness is aiding fitness gains. Still, the future looks bright for both categories, in which physical spaces are taking on a new role in engaging consumers.
Want more data-driven retail insights? Visit 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.
As consumer spending continues to bifurcate, mid-tier chains face headwinds while off-price and luxury apparel gain ground. Which of the two apparel segments has the greatest growth potential? We dove into the data to find out.
Off-price has led apparel growth in recent years, and continuing economic uncertainty is helping the segment build on that momentum and continue its upward trajectory in 2025. But the luxury apparel segment – which underperformed the wider apparel category for much of 2024 – has also been on the rise lately, as shown in the chart below.
So far in 2025, foot traffic to luxury chains and department stores has increased year-over-year, consistently outpacing the broader apparel category. This trend reflects the increasingly bifurcated retail space: value-oriented chains, including off-price leaders, are winning over budget-conscious shoppers, while premium brands continue to attract affluent customers who remain less sensitive to economic headwinds.
Still, the data also shows that off-price chains continue to show significantly stronger traffic growth, while luxury visits have recently stabilized – traffic between June and August 2025 was roughly flat YoY. This contrast underscores the greater growth potential of value-oriented retailers in the current environment, with middle-income shoppers far more likely to trade down into off-price than to stretch into luxury. So although affluent spending appears to be holding steady, luxury’s room for further expansion may be limited.
Luxury may be more visible than ever, with social media fueling brand awareness. Pandemic-era stimulus checks may also have briefly given middle-income shoppers an opportunity to splurge on coveted labels. But beneath the surface, the data suggests that the audience is actually narrowing, with luxury chains drawing more heavily from affluent areas – even as brands try to broaden their lines and bring prestige to the masses.
Between 2022 and 2025, the median HHI for luxury shoppers climbed from $115K to nearly $118K, while the medians for traditional and off-price apparel shoppers held steady.
This suggests that, as prices rise, luxury increasingly depends on the nation’s wealthiest households, while off-price, with its median HHI of $75K (closely aligned with the national average of $79.6K according to PopStats 2024 data), continues to draw a broad shopper base. Off-price’s income profile may even be buoyed by wealthier shoppers trading down, while mid-range apparel chains feel the pressure of more cost-conscious behavior.
As 2025 progresses, apparel’s bifurcation is likely to deepen, with off-price chains positioned to capture continued traffic gains from value-driven shoppers and even affluent consumers trading down. Luxury is likely to remain resilient among high-income households, but its reliance on a narrowing customer base may limit growth, leaving value-oriented retailers better positioned to capitalize on shifting consumer dynamics in the months ahead.
To see up-to-date retail traffic trends, visit our 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.
1. Experiential and niche retailers can deliver anchor-level traffic. At Towne East Square Mall, the addition of a Scheels in 2023 significantly increased foot traffic and long-distance travelers, while Barnes & Noble at Coronado Center in Albuquerque has become a key driver of both foot traffic and higher-spend demographics.
2. Size isn’t everything – especially for dining venues. At Glendale Galleria and Northridge Fashion Center, smaller restaurants attracted more foot traffic than some traditional anchors.
3. Refocusing on tenants’ actual traffic contributions enables a flexible anchor approach. Balancing weekend draws like Scheels with weekday favorites such as Costco or Chick-fil-A can help maintain steady visitor flow throughout the week. Similarly, onsite fitness clubs can shift traffic to earlier in the day – an opportunity to adjust store hours and capture additional morning shoppers.
4. Temporary pop-ups can form an integral part of a visit-focused anchor strategy. The Barbie Dreamhouse Living Truck Tour generates mall visit spikes well above typical Saturday levels. Operators can integrate these events into their overall anchor strategies, offering preferential terms to high-performing pop-ups.
5. New tenants can boost traffic for existing stores in similar categories. After Aldi joined Green Acres Commons in February 2020, visits to an existing BJ’s Wholesale Club trended upwards. This synergy highlights how overlapping audiences can become a strength, creating a larger overall customer base.
Malls, it seems, are cool once again. After languishing in the wake of the pandemic, shopping centers across the country are thriving – reinventing themselves as prime “third places” where people can hang out, shop, and grab a bite to eat.
One key driver behind this resurgence is a shift in how malls view their anchor tenants. While traditional mainstays like Macy’s and JCPenney still play an important role, specialized offerings – from popular eateries to fitness centers and immersive retailtainment destinations – are increasingly taking center stage. These attractions maximize the experiential value that brick-and-mortar venues can deliver, driving visits and sales for the center as a whole.
Against this backdrop, this report leverages the latest location intelligence data to explore the types of tenants that can function as mall anchors in 2025. Should mall operators still focus on general merchandisers to draw crowds, or can dining chains and more niche retailers also do the job? How important is square footage in identifying the anchor-like tenants in a shopping center? And how can a visit-focused approach help mall operators select effective anchor or anchor-like tenants – whether to fill big-box spaces or to leverage the leasing perks traditionally reserved for major large-format chains?
One of the most important functions of a mall anchor is to ensure steady visitation – providing its smaller tenants with a constant flow of potential customers. And as the role of the mall continues to evolve, analyzing the actual foot traffic impacts of different types of businesses can help identify the kinds of non-traditional anchors best suited to fulfill that purpose.
Experiential venues, for example, are particularly well-poised to serve as powerful anchors in today’s retail environment – as illustrated by the visit surge experienced by Towne East Square Mall in Wichita, KS following the addition of a Scheels in July 2023.
By blending traditional retail with immersive experiences, Scheels has emerged as a true experiential destination. And this pull has also helped the mall draw more long-distance visitors willing to travel to enjoy Scheels’ offerings. In 2024, 41.9% of the mall’s customers traveled more than 50 miles to visit, compared to 35.8% back in 2018 when Sears occupied the same lot.
Traditionally, anchors aimed to please the widest possible audiences – with department stores, big-box chains, and grocery stores leading the way. But visitation data shows that niche concepts can also deliver anchor-level traffic if they’re compelling enough to attract dedicated fans.
The experience of the Barnes & Noble at Coronado Center in Albuquerque, NM is a case in point. After being written off as all but obsolete, Barnes & Noble has staged an impressive comeback in recent years, finding success through a more curated, localized approach to book selling. And despite not being a formal anchor, the Coronado Center Barnes & Noble accounted for 7.9% of visits to the mall in 2024 – outperforming both Macy’s and JCPenney.
Year-over-year data also shows foot traffic surging at the Coronado Center Barnes & Noble, lifting overall visitation to the mall. And demographic data reveals that the bookstore draws a more affluent audience than either the center as a whole or the two department stores – attracting a crowd with more spending power.
This example also illustrates how smaller tenants can sometimes draw larger crowds. Even though Barnes & Noble occupies a smaller onsite space than either Macy’s or JCPenney, it is proving a powerful visit driver out of proportion to its physical size.
Dining chains are also adept at punching above their square footage – often attracting crowds disproportionate to their size.
Despite its relatively small footprint, for example, the In-N-Out Burger at Glendale Galleria drew an impressive 8.6% of visits to the mall complex in 2024, outpacing some of the mall’s official anchors like DICK’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, and JCPenney. Still, the onsite Target drew even larger crowds at 14.4% of visits.
A similar pattern emerged at Northridge Fashion Center, where Porto’s Bakery and Cafe captured a notable 15.6% of visits to the complex in 2024 – more than some of the center’s traditional department stores.
These examples underscore the potential for dining chains, which typically require less space, to serve as micro-anchors by consistently attracting outsized crowds – a key consideration for mall operators looking to sustain visitor traffic.
Refocusing on tenants’ actual foot traffic contributions also opens the door to a more flexible and dynamic approach to anchor selection and management – one that considers each venue’s unique visitation patterns.
Seasonal factors, for example, can make certain anchors more powerful at specific times of the year, while different venues shine on particular days of the week.
At Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa, for instance, Scheels and Costco each delivered just under 20.0% of the complex’s overall visits in 2024. But the two retailers’ daily patterns differed significantly: Scheels saw bigger crowds on weekends, while Costco was the primary weekday destination.
Understanding differences like these can help operators optimize their tenant mix to maintain a balanced flow of shoppers throughout the week.
Another example of the impact of differing weekday traffic patterns is offered by the impact of mall-based Chick-fil-A locations on the distribution of mall visits throughout the week.
Despite its relatively small size, Chick-fil-A draws substantial traffic to malls. And after adding Chick-fil-A locations, both Northridge and Miller Hill Malls saw meaningful drops in the share of visits to the centers taking place on Sundays – even as the wider indoor mall segment saw slight upticks.
Recognizing this trend could prompt mall operators to compensate by adding more weekend-friendly traffic drivers – or to lean into this distinction by taking additional steps to bolster the mall’s role as a go-to weekday destination.
The power of different mall traffic magnets also varies throughout the day. Increasingly, shopping centers are turning to fitness centers as experiential anchors. And since many people work out early in the morning, these gyms are having a significant impact on the distribution of mall visits across dayparts.
The addition of gyms to Northshore Mall in Peabody, MA and Jackson Crossing in Jackson, MI, for instance, led to a significant rise in visits between 7:00 AM and noon. And though the rest of the stores in these malls typically open at 10:00 or 11:00 AM, this shift presents the centers with a significant opportunity.
By adjusting opening hours to accommodate these early-morning patrons, malls can capitalize on this added traffic, driving up visits and sales for relevant tenants – especially health-focused retailers such as juice bars and sporting goods stores.
Adopting a broader, visit-focused view of anchoring also allows mall operators to apply some of the strategies typically reserved for anchors to non-conventional traffic-generating businesses, to ensure a consistent flow of traffic year-round.
Pop-up stores and events, for example, generally don’t follow the same seasonal trends as other retailers – instead, they generate short-term visit boosts during their runs, whenever in the year that may be. And a visit-focused anchor strategy can leverage some of the perks traditionally reserved for anchor tenants – such as preferential leasing terms – to complement traditional full-time anchors during slower retail periods.
The Barbie Dreamhouse Living Truck Tour is a prime example of a traffic-driving pop-up. By bringing exclusive merchandise to malls across the U.S., the truck generates plenty of buzz, drawing crowds eager to snatch up limited-edition items and immerse themselves in all things Barbie. As a result, malls hosting the tour often see significant visit spikes, with foot traffic surging well above typical Saturday levels. Well-timed pop-ups like these can help balance out traffic throughout the year, offsetting traditional slow periods.
A visit-focused approach to anchor management can also help mall operators assess the potential impact of new tenants on existing stores operating in similar categories. For example, mall owners often worry that new tenants operating in similar categories might cannibalize existing businesses. But a visit-focused anchor approach reveals that a well-chosen addition can sometimes benefit current tenants – especially if they cater to similar audiences.
In February 2020, for instance, value supermarket Aldi opened at Green Acres Commons in Valley Stream, NY – a center that already hosted budget-friendly BJ’s Wholesale Club. While BJ’s visits were relatively flat in 2018 and 2019, they began to rise after Aldi’s opening (and following a pandemic-induced dip). Cross-shopping data also shows that Aldi customers were more likely to visit BJ’s than the average Green Acres patron last year.
This synergy may be due in part to the two retailers’ similar visitor bases: In 2024, the Aldi and BJ’s stores in Green Acres Common drew shoppers with comparable economic profiles. This suggests that overlapping audiences can become a strength if aligned brands attract new shoppers, who then explore multiple stores in the same center.
Looking ahead, effective mall anchors will be defined less by physical footprint and more by their capacity to maintain consistent, valuable foot traffic. While traditional department stores remain pivotal, smaller or niche brands can often rival – or surpass – large-format retailers. And by thinking out of the anchor box and choosing tenants that cultivate a balanced visitor flow and align with local preferences, operators can position their centers as true go-to destinations.
1. Shoppers are taking more, shorter trips to grocery stores. Over the past 12 months, grocery stores have experienced nearly uniform YoY visit growth. And since COVID, the segment has steadily increased both overall visits and average visits per location – even as average dwell times have consistently declined.
2. Grocery stores are holding ground against fierce competition. Despite growing inroads by discount and dollar stores, wholesale clubs, and general mass retailers like Walmart and Target, grocery stores have maintained their share of the overall food-at-home visit pie over the past several years.
3. Grocery visit share is most pronounced on the coasts. In Q1 2025, grocery stores claimed the majority of food-at-home visits on the West Coast, in parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mountain Regions, and in Florida and Michigan.
4. Fresh-format, value, and ethnic grocery visit shares are growing at the expense of traditional chains. And in Q1 2025, fresh-format and value grocers outperformed the other sub-segments with positive YoY visit and average visit-per-location growth.
5. Hispanic markets are on the rise. Though the broader ethnic grocery sub-segment was essentially flat YoY in Q1 2025, Hispanic-focused stores recorded increases in both visits and visits per location – and have been steadily growing visits since 2021.
6. Smaller formats for the win. In Q1 2025, smaller-format grocery store locations outpaced mid-sized and larger-format ones, underscoring the power of compact spaces to deliver significant foot traffic gains.
Brick-and-mortar grocery stores face an uncertain market in 2025. Rising food-at-home prices (eggs, anyone?), declining consumer confidence, and increased competition from discounters, superstores, and online shopping channels all present the segment with significant headwinds. Yet even in the face of these challenges, the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience – growing its foot traffic and holding onto visit share.
What strategies have helped the segment navigate today’s tough market? And how can industry stakeholders make the most of the opportunities in the current market? This report draws on the latest location intelligence to uncover the trends shaping grocery retail in early 2025 – highlighting insights to help key players make informed, data-driven decisions on store formats, product offerings, and more.
The grocery segment has experienced nearly uniform positive year-over-year (YoY) growth over the last 12 months. This sustained performance in the face of inflation and other headwinds highlights the underlying strength of the category.
What is driving this growth? Since 2022, the grocery segment has seen consistent overall visit growth that has outpaced increases in visits per location – a sign that chain expansion has played a key role in the category’s success. But the average number of visits to each grocery store has also been on the rise, indicating that the segment continues to expand without cannibalizing existing store traffic.
At the same time, visitor dwell times have been steadily dropping since 2021. This shift appears to reflect a trend towards multiple, shorter trips by inflation-wary consumers eager to avoid large, costly carts or cherry pick deals across various retailers. Many shoppers may also be placing more bulk orders online and supplementing those deliveries with brief in-store stops for additional items as needed.
The bottom line: Shoppers are taking more grocery trips overall each year, but spending less time in-store during each visit. Operators can respond to this trend by optimizing layouts and promoting “grab-and-go” areas for an even more efficient quick-trip experience.
Visit share data also shows that despite fierce competition from discount and dollar stores, wholesalers, and general mass retailers, the grocery segment has steadfastly preserved its share of the overall food-at-home visit pie.
Between Q1 2019 and Q1 2025, wholesale clubs and discount and dollar stores increased their share of total food-at-home visits, gains that have come primarily at the expense of Walmart and Target. Meanwhile, grocery outlets have held firm – despite some fluctuations over the years, their Q1 2019 visit share remained essentially unchanged in Q1 2025.
So even as consumers flock to alternative food purveyors in search of lower prices, grocery stores aren’t losing ground – and on a nationwide level, they remain the biggest player by far in the food-at-home shopping space.
Still, grocery store visit share varies significantly by region. On the West Coast, in parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mountain regions, and in Florida and Michigan, grocery stores accounted for the majority of food-at-home visits in Q1 2025. Oregon (61.6%) and Washington (59.6%) led the pack, followed by Massachusetts (59.2%), Vermont (58.5%), and California (57.9%). Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Arkansas, South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Mississippi, less than 30% of food-at-home traffic went to grocery stores, with more shoppers in these regions turning to general mass retailers or discounters.
Grocery store operators in lower-grocery-share regions may choose to focus on price competitiveness and convenient store locations to capture more foot traffic from competitors in the space.
Which types of grocery stores are thriving the most? The grocery segment is diverse, encompassing traditional grocery chains like Kroger, Safeway, and H-E-B; budget-oriented value chains such as Aldi, WinCo Foods, Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, and Market Basket; fresh-format specialty brands like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Sprouts Farmers Market; and numerous ethnic grocers.
Examining shifts in visit share among these various grocery store segments shows that traditional grocery still dominates, commanding over 70.0% of total grocery store foot traffic.
Still, over the past several years, traditional grocers have gradually ceded ground to other segments – especially value chains. Budget grocers saw a temporary surge in visits during the panic-buying days of early 2020 – and have been more gradually gaining visit share since Q1 2023. . Fresh-format banners, which lost ground in 2021 after a Q1 2020 bump, in the wake of COVID, have also been on the upswing and appear poised to capture additional visit share in the coming months and years. And though ethnic grocers still account for a relatively small portion of the overall market, they have slightly increased their visit share, reflecting heightened consumer interest in these specialized offerings.
Recent performance metrics point to a bifurcation in the grocery market similar to that observed in other retail categories. In Q1 2025, fresh-format and value retailers – which appeal, respectively, to the most and least affluent visitor bases – saw the greatest growth in both overall visits and average visits per location.
This trend highlights the power of both value and health-focused quality to motivate consumers in 2025. And grocery players that can meet these needs will be well-positioned for success in the months ahead.
One factor fueling fresh-format’s success may be its role as a convenient, relatively affordable midday lunch destination for the remote work crowd.
In Q1 2025, consumers working from home accounted for 20.2% of fresh-format grocery stores’ captured market – a significantly higher share than any other analyzed grocery segment. These stores also tended to be busier midday than the other segments. Remote workers may be stopping by to grab a quick bite – and some may be choosing to do their grocery shopping during their lunch break when stores are less crowded.
This finding suggests an opportunity for grocery operators across all segments to develop or enhance in-store salad bars and quick-serve sections to tap into the lunch rush. Likewise, CPG companies may benefit from developing more ready-made, nutritious meal options that align with these midday dining habits.
Though the broader ethnic grocery category remained essentially flat in Q1 2025, Hispanic-focused grocers emerged as a sub-segment to watch. Both overall visits and average visits per location to these stores have been on the rise since 2021.
This robust demand presents an opportunity for CPG brands and grocers across segments to expand Hispanic-focused offerings, capturing a slice of this growing market.
Finally, store size matters more than ever in 2025. During the first quarter of the year, smaller format grocery store locations (locations under 30K square feet, across different chains) outpaced larger stores with a 3.2% YoY jump in visits, showing that bigger isn’t always better in the grocery store space.
This pattern aligns with the decrease in dwell times noted above – shoppers may be making shorter trips to smaller, more convenient grocery store locations. These quick errands are ideal for picking up a few items to supplement online orders, shopping multiple deals, or sourcing specialty products unavailable at larger grocery destinations. And to lean into this trend, grocery operators might consider testing neighborhood “micro-store” concepts, focusing on curated selections, and offering convenient parking or pickup to match consumer preferences for targeted purchases and quicker trips.
Location intelligence reveals a growing, dynamic grocery landscape which is holding its ground in the face of increased competition. Shorter trips, busier lifestyles, and changing work routines are reshaping in-store experiences. And grocery players that refine their store formats, target both lunch and on-the-go shoppers, and adapt to shifting demographics can position themselves to thrive in this competitive sector. As the market continues to evolve, continuous attention to these changing patterns will be key to maintaining and expanding market share.
1. Elevated visitor frequency could mean that gym-goers are getting more value out of their memberships and are therefore more likely to stay signed up. Between January and March 2025, all of the gym chains analyzed had a higher share of frequent visitors (those who visited about once a week) than in the equivalent month of 2024.
2. Fitness chains at all price tiers need to be strategic about the value they offer and the amenities that can engage budget-conscious consumers. Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2025, the captured trade area median HHI increased for all fitness subsegments – value-priced, mid-range, and high-end – suggesting that consumers swapped pricier gym memberships for more affordable options.
3. Close attention should be paid to how long visitors spend at fitness chains in order to reduce crowding and bottlenecks. Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2025, the average visit length increased at value-priced, mid-range, and high-end gyms. Floorplan and equipment improvements could be considered, as well as having trainers available to help gym-goers streamline workouts.
4. Gyms can use hourly visit data to better serve their members or use promotions to stabilize facility usage throughout the day. In Q1 2025, high-end chains received a larger share of morning visits while value-priced and mid-range fitness chains received larger shares of evening visits.
Like many industries in recent years, the fitness sector has experienced significant shifts in consumer behavior. From the rise in home workouts during the pandemic to the strain of hyper-inflation, foot traffic trends to gyms and health clubs have been as dynamic as the consumers they serve.
This report leverages location analytics to explore the consumer trends driving visitation in the fitness space and provides actionable insights for industry stakeholders.
The pandemic drove several shifts in the fitness space. Widespread gym closures led consumers to embrace home-based workouts, while demand for all things fitness increased due to an emphasis on overall health and wellness. This subsequently drove a renewed interest in gym-based workouts as restrictions lifted – even as some consumers remained committed to their home workout routines.
In Q1 2023, visits to fitness chains surpassed Q1 2019 levels for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, a sign that consumers had recommitted to out-of-home fitness. And in Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, fitness chains saw further growth, climbing to 12.8% and 15.5% above the Q1 2019 baseline, respectively.
Several factors have likely driven consumers’ return to gyms and health clubs, including the desire for both social connection and professional-grade facilities difficult to replicate at home. The steep increase in cost of living has likely also played a role, since consumers cutting back on discretionary spending can enjoy multiple outings and a range of recreational activities at the gym for one monthly fee.
Zooming in on weekly visits to the fitness space in Q1 2025 reveals the industry’s exceptional strength and resilience in the early part of the year.
The fitness industry experienced YoY visit growth nearly every week of Q1 2025 (and 2.4% YoY visit growth overall) with only minor visit gaps the weeks of January 20th, 2025 and February 17th, 2025 – likely due to extreme weather that prevented many Americans from hitting the gym.
And the fitness industry’s weekly visit growth appeared to strengthen throughout the quarter, defying the typical waning of New Year's resolutions. This could indicate that gym visits haven't plateaued and that consumers are demonstrating greater commitment to their fitness routines compared to last year.
Diving into visitation patterns for leading fitness chains highlights how increased visitor frequency drove foot traffic growth in Q1 2025.
Fitness chains tend to receive the most visits during the first months of the year as consumers recommit to health and wellness in their post-holidays New Year’s resolutions. And not only do more people hit the gym – analyzing the data reveals that gym-goers also typically work out more frequently during this period. Zooming in on 2025 so far suggests that consumers are especially committed to their fitness routines this year: Leading gyms saw an increase in the proportion of frequent visitors (4+ times a month) in Q1 2025 compared to the already significant percentage of frequent visitors in the first quarter of 2024.
Elevated visitor frequency could mean that gym-goers are getting more value out of their memberships than last year, and are therefore more likely to stay signed up throughout the year.
At the same time, the data also reveals that – contrary to what may be expected – a fitness chain’s share of frequent visitors appears to be independent of the cost of membership associated with the club: Life Time, a high-end club, and EōS Fitness, a value-priced gym, had the highest shares of frequent visitors between January 2024 and March 2025. This suggests that factors other than cost, such as location convenience, class offerings, community, or individual motivation, might be more influential in driving frequent gym attendance.
Segmenting the fitness industry by membership price tiers – value-priced, mid-range, and high-end – can reveal further insights on current consumer behavior around out-of-home fitness.
In Q1 2025, the captured market* median household income (HHI) was higher than the nationwide median HHI ($79.6K/year) across all price tiers – suggesting that even value-priced fitness chains are attracting a relatively affluent audience. This could indicate that gym memberships are somewhat of a luxury and that consumers from lower-income households gave up their gym memberships altogether as they tightened their purse strings.
Analyzing the historical data since Q1 2022 also reveals that the captured market median HHI has risen consistently over the past couple of years with the largest median HHI increase observed in the captured trade areas of high-end fitness chains. This suggests that middle-income households – that are more sensitive to the rising cost of living – likely swapped pricier gym memberships for more affordable options in recent years.
These metrics indicate that fitness chains at all price tiers need to think strategically about the value they offer and the amenities that can engage budget-conscious consumers who are carefully weighing every expenditure.
*Captured trade area is obtained by weighting the census block groups (CBGs) from which the chain draws its visitors according to their share of visits to the chain and thus reflects the population that visits the chain in practice.
Fitness clubs of all types need to manage their capacity to ensure health and safety standards and a positive experience for members. And understanding the average amount of time visitors spend at the gym can help fitness chains at every price point keep their finger on the pulse of their facilities.
Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2025, the average visit length increased at value-priced, mid-range, and high-end gyms. Value-priced gyms experienced the largest increase in average visit length – from 72.4 minutes in Q1 2022 to 74.0 minutes in Q1 2025 – perhaps due to their relatively lower-income visitors spending more time enjoying club amenities after cutting back on other forms of recreation. Meanwhile, mid-range and high-end gyms experienced relatively modest increases in average visit length, which were higher to begin with – likely due to their ample class and spa offerings and overall inviting, upscale spaces.
Elevated average visit length could mean that visitors are well-engaged and less likely to cancel their memberships. But as overall gym visits are on the rise, fitness chains may want to pay close attention to how long visitors spend at the facility. Floorplan and equipment improvements could be considered in order to reduce bottlenecks, and having trainers available to instruct on equipment usage and workout technique could help gym-goers streamline workouts.
Along with average visit length, understanding the daypart in which they receive the most visits is another way that fitness chains can improve efficiency and prevent overcrowding. And analysis of the hourly visits to fitness sub-segments revealed that some fitness segments receive more morning visits while others are more popular in the evenings.
In Q1 2025, high-end chains received a larger share of visits between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. (19.7%) than value-priced and mid-range fitness chains (11.6% and 11.8%, respectively). Meanwhile, value-priced and mid-range fitness chains received larger shares of visits between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. (21.9% and 22.2%) than high-end chains (16.5%).
Gyms can leverage this data to better serve members, for instance by scheduling more classes during peak hours. Value-priced and mid-range gyms, which saw a larger disparity between shares of morning and evening visits in Q1 2025, might also consider incentivizing off-peak usage through discounted morning memberships or early-bird snack bar deals.
The fitness space appears to be in good shape in 2025. Visits have made a full recovery from the pandemic era and still continue to grow, indicating strong consumer demand for out-of-home workouts. And using location intelligence to analyze the behavior and demographics of visitors to gyms at different price points can help identify opportunities for driving even greater success.
