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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.
Just when we thought the return-to-office (RTO) debate was finally settled, things are heating up once again. Leading financial institutions like Goldman Sachs are requiring employees to come into the office five days a week (gasp!). And though research shows that remote-capable employees now live twice as far from the office as they did before COVID, some are now being asked to move back closer to the office and show up in person more often.
But what impact are these renewed skirmishes having on the ground? Has the office recovery needle begun to move once again? Or is all the talk merely that – talk?
We dove into the data to find out.
Nationwide, visits to office buildings were down just 31.3% in February 2024 compared to February 2020 – the nation’s last “normal” in-office month before COVID changed everything. This relatively narrow year-over-four-year (Yo4Y) visit gap may be partially due to this year’s February leap day: Last month had 20 working days, compared to just 19 in February 2020 and 2023. (2020 was also a leap year, but the extra day fell on the weekend.)
Still, office visits in February 2024 were also higher than in January 2024, when unusually cold and stormy weather stranded many Americans at home. And year over year (YoY), February 2024 visits were up 18.6% – which, even accounting for the month’s extra day, points towards significant growth.
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Taking a look at city-wide trends shows the persistence of significant regional variation – with Miami and New York continuing to lead the post-COVID office recovery pack, and San Francisco bringing up the rear. Dallas, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. also outperformed the nationwide Yo4Y baseline of -31.3%. And of the cities that continued to lag behind, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco all outpaced the national average for YoY visit growth.
Here, too, February 2024’s additional business day did some of the work. Nevertheless, urban centers like Miami and New York – where office visits were down just 9.4% and 14.5%, respectively, compared to February 2020 – are clearly experiencing accelerated recovery. In Miami, an influx of tech companies may be contributing to the narrowing foot traffic gap – while in New York, the finance sector is likely a major driver of visit growth. And though San Francisco continues to lag behind other cities, the tech hub’s impressive YoY foot traffic increases indicate real change on the ground.
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Hybrid work may be here to stay – but February’s office foot traffic data appears to indicate that companies and employees are still feeling out the ideal balance between RTO and WFH. And whether due to growing demands by employers or workers’ own concerns about the possible deleterious effects of fully remote work on their careers, further office recovery may yet be on the table.
How will RTO progress as 2024 gets into full swing? Will New York and Miami close the gap? And what will happen in San Francisco?
Follow Placer.ai’s data-driven office recovery analyses to find out.
This blog includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.0, which implements improvements to our extrapolation capabilities, adds short visit monitoring, and enhances visit detection.
The multi-billion dollar beauty industry has proved to be one of the most resilient retail categories over the past few years – and Ulta Beauty has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of this trend, reporting record growth and experiencing strong foot traffic to its stores.
We dove into the location intelligence data for Ulta to analyze recent foot traffic performance, explore seasonal trends, and better understand the chain’s visitor base.
The past few years have seen Ulta’s monthly foot traffic growing on a near-constant basis – and 2023 was no exception. Year-over-year (YoY) visits to the chain were up by double digits most months and Ulta consistently outperformed the wider Beauty & Spa segment. The company’s success appears poised to continue in 2024, with January 2024 visits up 4.9% relative to the already impressive January 2023, even as foot traffic to the wider Beauty & Spa category dipped.
The consistent foot traffic growth Ulta experienced in 2023 and early 2024 is particularly impressive given that 2022 was also a banner year for the brand – meaning that foot traffic has exceeded the previous years’ growth for two years straight. And the company seems to be capitalizing on its success by further enhancing its shopping experience, expanding its presence with new stores, and emphasizing wellness offerings at existing locations to keep its customers coming back.
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Charting the change in monthly foot traffic to Ulta helps visualize the chain’s seasonal visit patterns and highlight the company’s consistent upward climb since the 2021 retail reopening. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns led to a steep drop in foot traffic, but visits picked up – and stayed up – as soon as social-distancing restrictions eased. And though inflation replaced the pandemic as an economic concern, Ulta visits continued on their upward climb, highlighting the broad appeal the chain offers to shoppers of all economic levels.
Ulta also enjoys significantly elevated visits during the holiday season, with foot traffic surging every December. And visits to the chain, even without a holiday spike, continue to exhibit growth – January 2024’s visits were 43.3% higher than they were in January 2019.
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While December may be the month that Ulta sees the most visits, there are plenty of other minor holidays and retail opportunities that contribute to foot traffic spikes to the retailer. And although Valentine’s Day isn’t a holiday in the official sense of the word, Ulta still enjoyed a mid-week boost in visits on Wednesday, February 14th 2024.
Visits to Ulta grew 17.2% on Valentine’s Day compared to traffic of the previous six Wednesdays. February 14th 2024 also saw 10.5% more visitors to Ulta than the day did in 2023, signaling a continued, growing interest in the beauty retailer.
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Ulta has taken pains to carry products for consumers of all ages, genders, and backgrounds –and recently, one age group in particular has been making headlines for its interest in beauty and skincare. Teens and tweens have been flocking to their local malls to try out products from brands like Drunk Elephant, driven, in part, by the rise of #BeautyTok, where influencers on TikTok post their makeup and skincare routines.
And indeed, trade area data indicates that families of all types are overrepresented among Ulta’s visitor base: Analyzing the psychographic makeup of Ulta’s trade areas using the Spatial.ai: PersonaLive dataset revealed that the chain’s captured market* includes more family segments when compared to the chain’s potential market*. Specifically, the chain’s captured markets had higher rates of “Near-Urban Diverse Families”, “Upper Suburban Diverse Families”, and “Wealthy Suburban Families” relative to the chain’s potential market. On the flip side, “Young Urban Singles” saw a smaller share of visitors in Ulta’s captured market than in its potential market.
Ulta’s popularity with family segments may be due to the increased demand for skincare and makeup among the families’ younger generations. And by continuing to cater to these younger consumers – alongside the numerous other segment that shop at Ulta – the company can hope to foster long-term brand loyalty and continue driving sales and foot traffic to its stores.
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*A chain’s potential market refers to the population residing in a given trade area, where the Census Block Groups (CBGs) making up the trade area are weighted to reflect the number of households in each CBG.. A chain’s captured market weighs each CBG according to the actual number of visits originating to the chain from that CBG.
Ulta continues to impress, growing its sales and foot traffic even during a uniquely challenging period for the average consumer. By creating a shopping experience that is accessible to people across all ages and income levels, the company ensures that its visits can continue to grow.
For more data-driven retail insights, follow placer.ai.
This blog includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.0, which implements improvements to our extrapolation capabilities, adds short visit monitoring, and enhances visit detection.
First Watch has been around for over 40 years and is famous for being open from morning to early afternoon and a revolving menu that leans into seasonal ingredients. In recent years, the casual cafe – which derives its name from the nautical term for the first shift of the day – has made significant waves. The chain went public in 2021 and continues to drive consistent revenue and foot traffic – despite a stormy economic climate. We dove into the data to take a closer look at the consumer behavior behind First Watch’s success and understand where the chain could be heading in 2024 and beyond.
The Early Advantage
At First Watch, brunch and lunch join breakfast as the most important meals of the day. And while some of the chain’s competitors are open all day – or even all night – sticking to limited business hours has not steered the brand off course. Analysis of First Watch’s H2 2023 foot traffic compared to the wider breakfast-first category shows that First Watch’s monthly year-over-year (YoY) visits consistently outperformed the Breakfast, Coffee, Bakeries, and Dessert Shops space as a whole.
Some of the chain’s success is due to its expanding store fleet, with visits during the last five months of 2023 up by double digits compared to the equivalent months in 2022. And the chain is likely to rise even further in 2024 and beyond, with CEO Christopher Tomasso seeing continued expansion on the horizon.
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Indeed, looking at more recent data shows that First Watch’s growth is continuing even relative to the already strong 2023, with foot traffic to the chain up YoY and outperforming the wider Breakfast, Bakeries & Dessert Shops space every week of 2024 so far.
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The Next Voyage
C.E.O. Tomasso is determined to stay “true to who we are and what we’ve done regardless of how big we get.” And one way First Watch has stayed true to its identity is by being attentive to the preferences of its target audience. When customers wanted cocktails as a way to unwind with friends over brunch – First Watch delivered. And location intelligence can help identify the next consumer trend to drive the brand’s continued success.
Trade Area Analysis of First Watch in Q4 2023 using the AGS: Behavior & Attitudes dataset revealed that “Food Label Readers”, “Organic Foodies”, and “Vegans” were overrepresented in the restaurant’s trade areas compared to the nationwide benchmark. This indicates that First Watch’s commitment to fresh ingredients resonates with clientele that prioritize a healthy diet. Meanwhile, the data also showed that these consumers were likely to be involved in various forms of exercise; “Fitness Fans”, “Joggers”, “Pilates People”, and “Weight Lifters” were also prevalent psychographic segments in First Watch’s trade area.
This suggests that First Watch might consider exploring uncharted waters by adding smoothies or post-workout shakes to its menu, or by opening smaller-format locations in fitness centers to better serve its health-conscious audience.
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Land Ho!
First Watch has enjoyed smooth sailing through a commitment to bringing diners a fresh take on breakfast, brunch, and lunch. As long as this ship stays anchored in its identity, First Watch should find that the wind is at its back for the foreseeable future.
For updates and more data-driven dining insights, visit Placer.ai.
This blog includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.0, which implements improvements to our extrapolation capabilities, adds short visit monitoring, and enhances visit detection.
Whether it’s an at-home yoga practice, a workout at the gym, or a sports league at the park, the biggest players in the sporting goods space – Hibbett Sports and DICK’s Sporting Goods – have the gear to keep a variety of consumers outfitted. Armed with the latest location intelligence data, we took a closer look at these retailers’ recent offline performance and analyzed some of the psychographic characteristics of visitors to DICK’s and Hibbett’s.
Last year started off strong for DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports, with visits to both retailers up in Q1 2023 relative to the equivalent quarter in 2022. But ongoing inflation and tighter consumer budgets weighed on visits as the year progressed, and foot traffic to DICK’s and Hibbett dipped slightly year-over-year (YoY) in the second half of the year. Still, in spite of the challenges, both brands succeeded in keeping their visits close to 2022 levels and maintaining minimal visit gaps.
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The strong Q1 2023 combined with unusually cold weather were likely partially to blame for DICK’s and Hibbett’s sluggish early 2024 performance. But by the end of January, YoY visit gaps had narrowed for both brands – a promising sign for the year ahead.
Who is likely to visit these brands in 2024? We looked at the retailers’ trade area composition to find out.
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Analyzing DICK’s and Hibbett’s trade area using the Spatial.ai: Proximity dataset revealed that both brands were positioned to drive traffic from two significant fitness-related psychographic segments at the end of 2023.
In Q4 2023, “Yoga Advocates” as well as fans of “Functional Fitness” were overrepresented in DICK’s and Hibbett’s trade area relative to the nationwide average. And DICK’s and Hibbett are investing heavily in getting these consumers in the door. DICK’s debut of a new functional fabric and ad campaign for its CALIA clothing line and Hibbett’s new joint loyalty program with Nike could provide an extra foot traffic boost from fitness-forward consumers as 2024 progresses. As temperatures thaw and demand rebounds, these consumers are likely to play a part in a foot traffic resurgence for both brands.
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But while certain sporty audience segments seem to visit both brands, diving deeper into DICK’s and Hibbett’s trade areas using the Spatial.ai: Followgraph dataset also revealed differences between the two retailers’ offline consumer base.
For example, the share of “Hunting Enthusiasts” in DICK’s trade area was 8% smaller compared to the nationwide average, while Hibbett’s trade area included 20% more “Hunting Enthusiasts” than the prevalence of the segment nationwide. Meanwhile, the “Triathlon Participants'’ segment was overrepresented in DICK’s potential market – 4.0% above the national average – and underrepresented in Hibbet’s potential market (8.0% below). These differences suggest that the sporting goods space is big enough to accommodate multiple players at the top, with leading retailers each carving out their own slice of the market.
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So Much Potential
After a relatively rocky end to 2023, foot traffic appears to be on the upswing for both DICK’s and Hibbett early on in 2024. The prevalence of fitness-minded and sporting consumers in the trade areas of both brands could provide a continued foot traffic lift in the weeks and months ahead.
For updates and more data-driven foot traffic insights, visit Placer.ai.
This blog includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.0, which implements improvements to our extrapolation capabilities, adds short visit monitoring, and enhances visit detection.
In the U.S., one can find many different dishes that incorporate a range of culinary traditions: Kogi truck introduced us to the joy of putting short ribs and vinaigrette slaw in a corn tortilla, topped off with a distinctly Korean salsa made of Korean chiles, rice wine vinegar, and scallions; Banh mi po’ boys combine the best of Vietnamese and Louisianan tradition; Lime and jalapeno-topped yellowtail sashimi hearkens to both Japanese and Peruvian lineages.
In Los Angeles, the LA Times takes readers on a culinary journey to the world of Black Tacos, where lines can reach 3 hours at Worldwide Tacos as one chooses from unique protein options like lamb, salmon, crab, and duck and mouthwatering flavor combinations like jerk, curry, pina colada, blueberry with blue cheese and raspberry chipotle.
While often anchored with a traditional corn tortilla, Black tacos also incorporate flavors and techniques from soul food, such as versions that use barbeque sauce, yams with wild rice, ground turkey, pulled pork, or hot honey catfish.
Alta Adams has its own take on Black tacos with a jerk-spiced sweet plantain taco. Nestled within a homemade corn tortilla, one will find caramelized plantain, mango-habanero salsa and chopped onion and cilantro. In 2022, the Hollywood Reporter named this spot “Black Hollywood’s Top Restaurant for Power Dining.” This restaurant is a popular evening destination, as patrons sip their inventive cocktails well into the night and see if they might catch a glimpse of Jay-Z or John Legend.
At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the entire month of February was dedicated to “African Americans and the Arts” and the impact of African Americans on visual arts, music, cultural movements, and more. From the BLM Movement to Harlem Hellfighters, Hip Hop and Rap to Musical Life at HBCUs, a rich cornucopia awaits. Per Spatial.ai PersonaLive, among those who visited in the past 6 months, when we look at those comprising 70% of visits, nearly 3 in 10 are Educated Urbanites, as well as a healthy dose of Young Professionals, Near-Urban Diverse Families, and Ultra Wealthy Families.
The museum also attracted a broad cross-section of different ethnicities.
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.
1. Idaho and South Carolina have emerged as significant domestic migration magnets over the past four years. Between January 2021 and 2025, both states gained over 3.0% of their populations through domestic migration. Other Mountain and Sun Belt states – including Nevada, Montana, and Florida – also drew significant inflow, while California, New York, and Illinois experienced the greatest outmigration.
2. Interstate migration cooled noticeably in 2024. During the 12-month period ending January 2025, California, New York and Illinois saw their outflows slow dramatically, while domestic migration hotspots like Georgia, Texas, and Florida saw inflows flatten to zero. A similar cooling trend emerged on a CBSA level.
3. Still, some states continued to see notable relocation activity over the past year. In 2024, Idaho, South Carolina, and North Dakota drew the most relocators relative to their populations. And among the nation’s ten largest states, North Carolina led with an inflow of 0.4%.
4. Phoenix remained a rare bright spot among the nation’s ten largest metro areas. The CBSA was the only major analyzed hub to maintain positive net domestic migration through 2024.
Over the past several years, the United States has experienced significant domestic migration shifts, driven by factors like remote work, housing affordability, and regional economic opportunities. As some areas reap the benefits of population inflows, others grapple with outflows tied to higher living costs and evolving workplace dynamics.
This report dives into the location analytics to explore where Americans have moved since 2021 – and how these patterns began to change in 2024.
Since 2021, Americans have flocked toward warmer climates, expansive natural scenery, and more affordable housing options – particularly in the Mountain and Sun Belt states.
Between January 2021 and January 2025, South Carolina led the nation in positive net domestic migration – drawing an influx of newcomers equivalent to 3.6% of its January 2025 population. (This metric is referred to as a state’s “net migrated percent of population.”) Next in line was Idaho with a 3.4% net migrated percent of population, followed by Nevada, (2.8%), Montana (2.8%), Florida (2.1%), South Dakota (2.1%), Wyoming (2.0%), North Carolina (2.0%), and Tennessee (1.9%). Texas saw positive net migration of just 0.9% during the same period. However, the Lone Star State’s large overall population means a substantial number of newcomers in absolute terms.
Meanwhile, California (-2.2%), New York (-2.1%), and Illinois (-1.9%) experienced the greatest outflows relative to their populations. This exodus was driven largely by soaring housing costs and the rise of remote work, which lowered barriers to moving out of high-priced areas.
Between January 2024 and January 2025, many of the same broad patterns persisted, but at a more moderate clip – suggesting a stabilization of domestic migration nationwide. This leveling off could reflect factors such as rising mortgage interest rates, which dampened home buying and selling, as well as the increased push for employees to return to the office.
Still, South Carolina (+0.6%) and Idaho (+0.6%) remained among the top inflow states. The two hotspots were joined – and slightly surpassed – by North Dakota (+0.8%), where even modest waves of newcomers make a big impact due to the state’s lower population base. A wealth of affordable housing and a strong job market have positioned North Dakota as a particularly attractive destination for U.S. relocators in recent years. And Microsoft and Amazon’s establishment of major presences around Fargo has strengthened the region’s economy.
Meanwhile, California (-0.3%), New York (-0.2%), and Illinois (-0.1%) continued to post negative net migration, but at a markedly slower rate than in prior years. And notably, several states that had been struggling with outflow, such as Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, Ohio, and Oregon, began showing minor positive inflow during the same 12-month window. As home affordability erodes in pandemic-era hot spots like the Mountain states and Sun Belt, these areas may emerge as new destinations for Americans seeking lower costs of living.
Zooming in on the ten most populous U.S. states offers an even clearer picture of how domestic migration patterns have stabilized over the past year. The graph below shows a side-by-side comparison of domestic migration patterns during the 36-month period ending January 2024 and the 12-month period ending January 2025.
California, New York, and Illinois saw population outflows slow dramatically during the 12 months ending January 2025 – while domestic migration magnets such as Georgia, Texas, and Florida saw inflow flatten to zero. Meanwhile, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania flipped from slightly negative to slightly positive net migration – incremental upticks that could signal a possible turnaround.
The only “Big Ten” pandemic-era migration magnet to maintain strong inflow in 2024 was North Carolina – which saw a 0.4% influx in 2024 as a result of interstate moves.
A closer look at the top four states receiving outmigration from California and New York (October 2020 to October 2024) reveals that residents leaving both states tended to settle in nearby areas or in Florida.
Among those leaving New York, 37.4% ended up in neighboring states – 21.1% moved to New Jersey, 9.2% to Pennsylvania, and 7.1% to Connecticut. But an astonishing 28.8% decamped all the way to the Sunshine State, trading the Northeast’s colder climate for Florida sunshine.
Similarly, 20.1% of California leavers chose to stay nearby, moving to Nevada (11.5%) or Arizona (8.6%). Another 19.1% moved to Texas, and 8.0% moved to Florida, making it the fourth-largest destination for Californians.
Zooming in on CBSA-level data – focusing on the nation’s ten largest metropolitan areas, all with over five million people – reveals a similar picture of slowing domestic migration over the last year.
Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. – four cities that experienced notable population outflows between January 2021 and January 2024 – saw those outflows flatten considerably. For these metros, this leveling-off may serve as a promising sign that the waves of departures seen in recent years may have begun to subside. Conversely, Houston and Dallas, which both welcomed positive net migration between January 2021 and January 2024, registered zero-net domestic migration in 2024. Atlanta, for its part, remained flat in both of the analyzed periods.
In Miami, however, outmigration persisted at a substantial rate. Despite Florida’s overall status as a domestic migration magnet, Miami lost 2.6% of its population to domestic net migration between January 2020 and January 2024 – and another 1.0% between January 2024 and January 2025. As one of Florida’s most expensive housing markets, Miami may be losing some residents to other parts of the state or elsewhere in the region. Meanwhile, Philadelphia, which lost 0.3% of its population to net domestic migration between January 2021 and January 2024, continued losing residents at a slightly faster pace in 2024 – another 0.3% just last year.
Of the ten biggest CBSAs nationwide, only Phoenix continued to see a net domestic migration gain through 2024 (+0.2%). This highlights the CBSA’s continued draw as a (relative) relocation hotspot even in 2024’s cooling market.
Who are the domestic relocators heading to Phoenix?
From October 2020 to October 2024, the top five metro areas sending residents to the Phoenix CBSA each registered median household incomes (HHIs) of $73K to $98K – surpassing Phoenix’s own median of $72K. This suggests that many of those moving in are arriving from wealthier, often more expensive metro areas – for whom even Phoenix’s high-priced market may offer more affordable living.
Overall, domestic migration patterns appear to have cooled in 2024, reflecting economic and societal trends that have slowed the rush from pricey coastal hubs to more affordable regions. Yet states like South Carolina, Idaho, and North Dakota – as well as metro areas like Phoenix – continue to attract new arrivals, paving the way for evolving regional demographics in the years to come.
