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If you grew up in the 1980s or 1990s, the idea of a milkman was more folklore than lived experience. You saw it in cartoons or black-and-white sitcoms – a man in uniform carrying glass bottles to a doorstep. It felt like a relic of a bygone era. Surely it would never return.
Fast forward to today, and not only is milk back on the doorstep, but so is everything else in your refrigerator. Technology has made it seamless to order groceries, household essentials, and even ready-to-cook meals, delivered daily with a few taps on your phone. The milkman is back – he just drives an Instacart-branded Prius or an Amazon Fresh van.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s a cycle. Technology often appears to propel us forward, but in reality, it bends us back to practices we once thought obsolete. The form changes, but the function remains strikingly familiar.
Take grocery delivery. In the 1950s, home delivery was a necessity – fewer households had multiple cars, and local dairies were tightly woven into community life. Today, we have more cars than ever, but also less time. Digital platforms fill that gap, mirroring the personal convenience of the past while scaling it through logistics and data.
Another example comes from the general store. In the 1820s, shopping meant telling an attendant what you wanted, who then gathered items from the back. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that “self-service” emerged, with baskets, aisles, and eventually barcodes.
We now find ourselves swinging back with Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) and curbside services that mimic that early model: Customers order in advance, then pick up a neatly packed bag from the counter. The shopper no longer roams aisles – the retailer does it for them.
And this is borne out by data: Placer.ai data on Target, Walmart, and Kroger shows spikes in short-duration visits – customers spending less than 10 minutes inside. That is the digital general store in action: efficient, pre-bundled, and familiar in its service, though powered by algorithms instead of store clerks.
Urban planning, too, is entering a similar loop. America’s postwar suburbs were built for cars – seas of parking lots, wide arterials, and drive-through convenience. Yet when you walk in the old towns of Europe – San Sebastián, Florence, Prague – the scale is human, not automotive. Streets are narrow, plazas are alive, and walkability is the default.
Autonomous vehicles may bend us back toward that human-centric design. If fewer people need to own cars, or if vehicles can drop off passengers and then disappear into shared fleets, parking loses its primacy. The city grid can prioritize people again.
For retail, this shift is profound. Shopping centers that once maximized asphalt for parking may repurpose land for dining, green space, or entertainment. Placer.ai’s visitation metrics already show the power of “experience-first” environments: centers with strong dining and social elements draw visitors who stay longer and come more often.
Education is another domain where technology is looping us back. A century ago, one-room schoolhouses educated children ages 6 to 16 under a single teacher, with individualized pacing as much as possible. Then industrialized schooling standardized the process – grade levels, subject blocks, and centralized curricula.
Artificial Intelligence could return us to the one-room model, but at scale. A teacher might become less of a “lecturer” and more of a coach in learning. AI tutors can adapt to each child’s needs, while the teacher provides human guidance, empathy, and context. It’s both cutting-edge and old-fashioned: personal learning, locally grounded, supported by technology rather than limited by it.
Perhaps the most intriguing cycle will be around authenticity. Global commerce has delivered incredible convenience, but also a flattening of experience. Walk down a high street in London, São Paulo, or Bangkok, and you’ll find the same Starbucks, H&M, and McDonald’s.
Even shops that feel “local” often sell merchandise sourced from the same global factories. Authenticity has become scarce – and scarcity, as any economist will tell you, creates value.
Placer.ai’s data often highlights how unique, local experiences can outperform national chains. Look at the night markets in Asia, where a single fried chicken vendor with a 50-year tradition can attract lines that rival global QSR brands. Or U.S. examples like Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Joe’s Pizza in New York – or even entertainment-focused Casa Bonita in Lakewood, CO, where one location is enough to generate pilgrimage-level demand.
The lesson for retail landlords is clear: the future is not only about digital convenience but also about curating hyper-local authenticity. A shopping center that balances national anchors with unique regional tenants can capture both predictability and excitement.
Placer.ai location analytics underscore this trend. Centers with a strong mix of “only-here” brands often see stronger visitation and longer dwell times. Customers aren’t just coming for errands – they’re coming for identity and discovery.
Brands that cater to local tastes are also succeeding, driving loyalty and repeat visits. Barnes & Noble, for example, has made a remarkable comeback with a strategy focused on local curation and community connection, eschewing the cookie-cutter feel of many national chains. Store managers now have the freedom to shape selections around neighborhood interests from regional authors to niche genres – creating spaces that feel personal rather than programmed. In an age dominated by algorithms, this human touch has become a competitive advantage.
So, what does all this mean for the future of shopping centers? It means history is not linear. Technology doesn’t only push us forward; it often bends us back to models we once knew, reshaped to fit today’s context.
The milkman is now a grocery delivery app. The general store clerk is now BOPIS. The European plaza is reborn through autonomous vehicles. The one-room schoolhouse reappears through AI tutors. And authenticity – once assumed, now rare – is becoming the most valuable commodity in commerce.
As landlords and investors, the opportunity is to recognize these patterns early. Instead of asking, “What’s new?” we might ask, “What’s old that technology will make new again?”
Where are people choosing speed over browsing? Where are they trading scale for authenticity? Where are they staying longer because the environment is built for people, not cars?
These are not just data points. They are clues to the future – a future that looks surprisingly familiar.
For more data-driven retail insights, follow Placer.ai/anchor.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
Grocery stores aren’t usually top of mind when it comes to holiday retail. But as families prepare for their annual feasts, supermarkets gear up for their busiest stretch of the year – a season marked by crowded aisles, overflowing carts, and soaring sales.
How do grocery stores and other food-at-home purveyors, from superstores to dollar stores, experience the holidays? Is “Turkey Wednesday” – the day before Thanksgiving – the only key milestone that matters, or are there other moments that drive performance? And which segments and brands stand to benefit most this season?
Thanksgiving is about gratitude and family – but it’s also about good food. And as families prepare their feasts, grocery stores nationwide buzz with activity.
During Turkey Wednesday last year, grocery store visits soared 74.5% above the daily average, making it the busiest day of the past 12 months for the category – followed by December 23rd and Christmas Eve. Other food-at-home retailers, such as dollar stores and superstores, also experienced elevated traffic before Thanksgiving, but their largest surges came in the lead-up to Christmas, as shoppers stocked up on gifts, decorations, and non-food essentials alongside their groceries.
The contrast underscores how deeply Thanksgiving belongs to grocery retail. When the meal itself is the main event, consumers prioritize fresh ingredients, pantry staples, and those all-important last-minute items – areas where supermarkets lead the charge. But the data also shows there’s plenty of room for multiple formats to shine during the season, with each experiencing its own distinct holiday peak.
Within the grocery industry, Black Friday and December 23rd stand out as the two busiest shopping days of the year across segments, though the intensity of the surges varies.
Traditional supermarkets – think Kroger, Safeway, and H-E-B – dominate the pre-thanksgiving rush, as shoppers on the hunt for holiday-specific items gravitate towards their broader assortments. In 2024, visits to this segment jumped 77.9% above a 12-month daily average on Turkey Wednesday, with a smaller uptick on the day before Christmas Eve. Value grocers followed a similar trajectory, though with more modest boosts.
Meanwhile, specialty and fresh-format grocers reached their traffic peak on December 23rd, reflecting their focus on premium, seasonal, and gift-oriented products that align more with December entertaining and gifting than with Thanksgiving meal prep.
Still, within grocery segments there remains significant variation between brands. ShopRite saw one of the biggest Turkey Wednesday spikes last year, with visits nearly doubling compared to the daily average. Kroger and Food Lion also outperformed the traditional grocery average.
Meijer, by contrast, followed a different rhythm. As a supercenter hybrid that straddles grocery and general merchandise, its biggest surge came not before Thanksgiving but in the days before Christmas, mirroring broader patterns for stores that serve “everything under one roof” missions.
Trader Joe’s also peaked closer to Christmas, though its busiest day of the past year was May 10th 2025, when the chain’s seasonal line-up of flowers, sweets, and small gift items helped drive an 82.1% jump in visits ahead of Mother’s Day. The pattern reflects Trader Joe’s focus on curated staples and seasonal specialties rather than the wide selections typical of larger supermarkets.
As Thanksgiving approaches, traditional grocers once again look poised to dominate Turkey Wednesday, while value, specialty, superstore, and dollar store formats each find their own seasonal spotlights. How will shopping patterns play out across these segments this year?
Follow Placer.ai/anchor to find out.
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After a relatively subdued summer performance, malls rebounded sharply in October 2025, with foot traffic to indoor malls, open-air shopping centers, and outlet malls rising significantly both year over year (YoY) and month over month (MoM). What does this mean for the upcoming holiday season? Read on to find out.
All mall formats saw clear YoY visit gains in October 2025, potentially signaling renewed consumer enthusiasm heading into the holiday season. And although indoor malls led the growth – continuing their strong performance throughout 2025 – open-air shopping centers and outlet malls also returned to positive territory after four consecutive months of declines, underscoring the breadth and strength of the October recovery.
The MoM data underscores the scale of this recovery. In October 2025, visits rose sharply compared to September 2025 – up 6.1% for Indoor Malls, 5.5% for Open-Air Shopping Centers, and 7.9% for Outlet Malls. In comparison, October 2024 saw only slight MoM increases of 0.5%, 2.1%, and 1.4%, respectively, compared to September 2024.
While the YoY data shows steady improvement in overall mall traffic, this month-over-month jump reveals a meaningful change in consumer behavior. Rather than waiting for November’s traditional start to the holiday season, shoppers appear to be hitting stores earlier and in greater numbers, making October a much more significant month for retail activity than it was last year.
The standout performance of outlet malls in particular reinforces consumer interest in value and discounts. As households remain price-sensitive, outlet centers continue to benefit from their combination of recognizable brands and lower price points.
October’s surge suggests that the 2025 holiday shopping season may be starting earlier and spreading out more evenly than in previous years. Recent research shows that many U.S. consumers plan to start their holiday shopping sooner, driven by concerns over rising prices and a desire for better product selection. Retailers are responding with expanded October promotions that pull forward demand.
At the same time, shoppers remain highly value-driven, with most saying inflation has made them more price-conscious. That dynamic likely helped fuel outlet malls’ nearly 8% MoM increase, as consumers sought recognizable brands at lower prices.
Together, these trends suggest that consumers are approaching the 2025 holiday season with more intention – shopping earlier, seeking value, and spreading spending over a longer period. For malls, that could mean a steadier flow of visits throughout Q4, rather than the sharp peaks of prior years.
For more data-driven consumer 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.
Each year, Starbucks drives excitement with its seasonal launches – from PSL Day, marking the return of the popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, to Red Cup Day in November, when customers can snag a free reusable cup with any beverage purchase.
But this year, Starbucks kicked off the holiday season with an even bigger event – the launch of a $29.95 bear-shaped glass that broke the internet and sent fans into a frenzy. How did the Bearista craze impact Starbucks visitation trends – and what can we learn from its standout success?
On November 6th, the day of the Bearista launch, visits to Starbucks jumped 37.8% above the last 12 months' daily average, outpacing even the brand’s successful August PSL debut. (The Friday following the PSL launch drove a 23.1% spike in visits compared to the daily visit average over the last 12 months.) Even after the initial rush, traffic remained elevated for several days as fans hunted for remaining inventory and social media buzzed with stories of sellouts. The buzz wasn’t just big; it was lasting.
And despite its hefty price tag, the Bearista Cup drop drove a traffic boost similar to last year’s Red Cup Day boost, when the promise of a free cup drove a 40.7% surge in visits compared to an average Thursday. While the Bearista spike was slightly smaller, its momentum endured for days as excitement – and anxiety over scarcity – continued to build.
People lining up to pay $30 for a bear-shaped glass – albeit a super cute one – wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card this year. So what can we learn from the event’s smashing success?
For one thing, even in an era of trading down, consumers are still willing to splurge on items that feel special – especially those that offer a sense of belonging to a cultural moment. Value matters, but it isn’t everything.
For another, not everything needs to be free or deeply discounted to draw major crowds. The Bearista proved that creativity and emotion can rival even the most generous giveaways.
And finally, scarcity (still) sells. The hype was so intense that fights broke out at some stores and eBay resales topped $1,000 – prompting Starbucks to apologize to disappointed fans and promise more holiday merch on the way.
With Red Cup Day just around the corner, will the Bearista momentum help drive an even bigger visit spike this year?
Follow Placer.ai/anchor to find out.
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 the 2025 holiday season approaches, several retail categories are showing surprising resilience – from luxury home goods to consumer electronics and grocery. Despite a challenging economic backdrop, a few standout brands are not only holding steady but gaining meaningful traction through smart expansion, effective online-offline integration, and compelling value offerings.
Framebridge, Best Buy, and ALDI each represent a distinct facet of the retail landscape, but they have one thing in common: strong visitation trends heading into the year’s most critical shopping period.
Framebridge has emerged as one of 2025’s standout retail success stories. Over the past 12 months, visits to the brand have climbed 108.8% year over year (YoY) as it rapidly expanded its footprint and deepened its connection with customers.
This momentum stems from Framebridge’s ability to deliver an in-store experience that online competitors simply can’t replicate. Shoppers are invited to see and feel materials firsthand, while design experts offer personalized guidance and creative inspiration to craft meaningful, high-quality pieces. The result is a shopping experience that feels personal, tactile, and memorable – transforming framing from a routine purchase into something experiential and human.
In 2025, Framebridge brought this approach to new audiences with its first stores in California, marking its West Coast debut. And as the chain has expanded, its customer base has grown more affluent: the median household income in Framebridge’s captured market rose from $127.7K in early 2024 to $141.8K by mid-2025, while average household size also increased. Together, these shifts reflect rising resonance among higher-income, family-oriented consumers who value personalization, design, and craftsmanship – leaving the brand well positioned for a strong season of meaningful gift giving.
Not long ago, many analysts were skeptical about Best Buy’s prospects. The electronics retailer was viewed as vulnerable in a tightening consumer environment, with lingering doubts about its ability to stay relevant amid e-commerce dominance and fast-changing tech trends. But recent data suggests that Best Buy is regaining momentum – and that its strategy to blend digital convenience with in-store expertise is beginning to deliver results.
Between November 2024 and October 2025, foot traffic to Best Buy declined just 1.7% YoY, an impressive result given ongoing store closures and the continued expansion of its online business. At the same time, a steady rise in short in-store visits highlights the success of Best Buy’s online-to-offline integration. And though tariff uncertainty continues to loom, Best Buy’s balanced approach leaves it poised to enjoy a successful Q4 – traditionally Best Buy’s strongest period of the year.
In the grocery sector, few brands are gaining momentum like ALDI – the no-frills discount grocer that continues to attract shoppers with its focus on simplicity, savings, and quality. Over the past several years, ALDI has sustained consistent visit growth while expanding its store network. And during the same period, the brand’s share of total industry visits has risen from 4.3% in 2022 to 5.7% in 2025 to date, underscoring its growing influence as a leading value-driven grocery chain.
As “Turkey Wednesday” and the pre-Christmas grocery rush approach, ALDI appears set to capture an even greater share of holiday traffic. With strong visitation trends, expanding market reach, and a clear value proposition, the retailer stands out as one of 2025’s most resilient performers.
Framebridge, Best Buy, and ALDI demonstrate that experience, convenience, and value remain key drivers of retail performance. By focusing on what draws shoppers into stores, these brands are paving the way for a robust holiday season.
For the most up-to-date retail 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.
After decades as America’s quintessential diner, Denny’s is entering a new era under the ownership of TriArtisan Capital Advisors, Treville Capital, and Yadav Enterprises. The move to take the company private comes at a time when the brand faces headwinds from store closures and evolving consumer habits – but also holds opportunities to reenergize its position in the family dining space.
We dove into the data to see where Denny’s stands today and what might be next for this legacy chain.
Visits to Denny’s fell 6.2% year over year (YoY) between November 2024 and October 2025, following a smaller 1.7% decline the prior year. This downturn partly reflects store closures, as Denny’s has been shuttering underperforming locations over the past two years to reposition the brand for sustainable growth.
The decline also reflects heightened competition from upscale breakfast chains such as First Watch – a challenge shared by peers like IHOP and Waffle House. Against this backdrop, Denny’s ability to limit traffic losses to single digits highlights its underlying brand resilience. And together with traffic gains at Keke’s Breakfast Café – the fast-growing concept Denny’s acquired in 2022 – this resilience provides a strong foundation for Denny’s and its new ownership group to reinvigorate the company’s success.
Visitor loyalty at Denny’s remains another bright spot. Between November 2024 and October 2025, roughly one in six Denny’s visitors returned within the same month, giving it a 17.3% average monthly loyal visitor share – the second highest among major breakfast chains after Waffle House (24.0%). This depth of loyalty shows that even with fewer restaurants, Denny’s retains a solid base of habitual diners who see it as their go-to comfort food spot. That connection also gives Denny’s – and other traditional diner concepts – a meaningful point of differentiation from more upscale competitors as the brand’s new ownership works to reenergize its business.
The data tells a clear story: Denny’s is in transition, not decline. Its loyal customer base provides stability, and its ability to limit traffic losses amid strategic rightsizing underscores real resilience. Now, as a privately held company, Denny’s has the flexibility to plan for the long term, positioning itself to evolve thoughtfully and make a comeback, one Grand Slam at a time.
For more data-driven dining analyses check out Placer.ai’s free industry trends tool.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
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.
In today’s retail landscape, consumer behavior is influenced by a multitude of factors, directly impacting the success of products and brands. This report explores the latest trends in value perception, shopping behavior, and media consumption that impact which brands consumers are most likely to engage with – and how.
In the apparel space, consumers continue to prioritize value and unique merchandise.
Analysis of visits to various apparel categories reveals a steady increase in the share of visits going to off-price retailers and thrift stores at the expense of traditional apparel chains.
And the popularity of off-price chains and thrift stores appears to be widespread across multiple audience segments. Analyzing trade area data with the Experian: Mosaic psychographic dataset reveals a clear preference for second-hand retailers among both younger (ages 25-30) and older (51+) consumer segments. Meanwhile, middle-class parents aged 36-45 with teenagers – the “Family Union” segment – are significantly more likely to shop at off-price apparel stores, highlighting their emphasis on buying new, while saving both time and money.
This suggests that the powerful blend of treasure-hunting and deep value, central to both the off-price and thrift experiences, is driving traffic from a variety of audiences, and that other industries could benefit from combining affordability with the allure of unique products.
Diving deeper into the location intelligence for the apparel space further highlights thrift and off-price’s broad appeal – and that a combination of quality and price motivates consumers to visit different retailers.
Between 2019 and 2024, the share of Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom visitors that also visited a Goodwill or Ross Dress for Less increased significantly.
And while this could mean that the current economic climate is causing some higher-income consumers to trade down to lower-priced retailers, it could also be that consumers are prioritizing sustainability and seeking value in terms of “bang for their buck” – shopping a combination of retailers depending on the cost versus quality considerations for each purchase.
Consumers increasingly expect to shop on their own terms, opting for a more flexible shopping experience that blurs the lines between traditional retail channels and categories.
Superstores and warehouse stores, for example, often evoke the image of navigating aisle after aisle of nearly every product imaginable – a time-consuming endeavor given the sheer size of their stores. But the latest location intelligence shows that more consumers are turning to these retailers for super-quick shopping trips.
Between 2019 and 2024, the share of visits lasting less than ten minutes at Target, Walmart, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Sam’s Club, and to a lesser extent Costco, rose steadily – perhaps due to increased use of flexible BOPIS (buy online, pick-up in-store) and curbside pick-up options. These stores may also be seeing a rise in consumers popping in to grab just a few items as-needed or to cherry-pick particular deals to complement their larger online shopping orders.
This trend highlights the demand for frictionless store experiences that allow visitors to conveniently shop or pick up orders even at large physical retailers.
And the breaking down of traditional retail silos isn’t limited to big-box chains. Diving into the data for quick service restaurants (QSR), fast casual chains, and grocery stores indicates that more consumers are also looking for new ways to grab a convenient bite.
Since 2019, grocery stores have been claiming an increasingly large share of the midday short visit pie – i.e. visits between 11:00 AM 3:00 PM lasting less than ten minutes – at the expense of QSR chains. This suggests that consumers seeking quick and affordable lunches are increasingly turning to grocery stores to pick up a few items or take advantage of self-service food bars. Notably, the rise in supermarket lunching hasn’t come at the expense of fast-casual restaurants, which have also upped their quick-service games – and have seen a small increase in their share of the quick lunchtime crowd over the past five years.
While some of QSR’s relative decline in short lunchtime visits could be due to discontent with rising fast-food prices, it’s clear that an increasing share of consumers see grocery and fast-casual chains as viable options during the lunch rush.
In 2025, tapping into hot trends and creating viral moments are among the most powerful tools for amplifying promotions and driving foot traffic to physical stores.
Retailers across categories have successfully harnessed the power of pop culture collaborations to generate excitement – and visits – by leaning into trending themes. On October 8th, 2024, for example, Wendy’s launched its epic Krabby Patty Collab, inspired by the beloved SpongeBob franchise. And during the week of the offering, the chain experienced a remarkable 21.5% increase in foot traffic compared to an average week that year.
Similarly, Crumbl – adept at creating buzz through manufactured scarcity – sparked a frenzy with the debut of its exclusive Olivia Rodrigo GUTS cookie. Initially available only at select locations near the artist’s concert venues, the cookie was launched nationwide for a limited time from August 19th to 24th, 2024. This buzz-driven release resulted in a 27.7% traffic surge during the week of the launch, as fans rushed to get a taste of the star-studded treat.
And it’s not just dining chains benefiting from these pop-culture moments. On February 16th, 2025, Bath & Body Works launched a Disney Princess-inspired fragrance line, perfect for fans of Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Moana, and Tiana. The collaboration resonated, fueling a 23.2% visit spike for the chain.
While tapping into existing pop-culture trends has the ability to drive traffic, so does creating a new one. Analysis of movie theater visits on National Popcorn Day (Sunday, January 19th, 2025) shows how initiating a trend can spur social media engagement and impact in-person traffic to physical retail spaces.
National Popcorn Day was a successful promotional holiday across the movie theater industry in 2025. Both Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres offered popcorn-based promotions on the day, but Cinemark’s “Bring Your Own Bucket” campaign, in particular, appears to have spurred a significant foot traffic boost during the event.
Visits to Cinemark on National Popcorn Day in 2025 increased 57.5% relative to the Sunday visit average for January and February 2025, as movie-goers showed off their out-of-the-bucket popcorn receptacles on social media. Clearly, by starting a trend that invited creativity and expression, Cinemark was able to amplify the impact of its National Popcorn Day promotion.
Location intelligence illuminates some of the key trends shaping consumer behavior in 2025. The data reveals that value-driven shopping, demand for flexibility across touchpoints, and the power of unique retail moments have the power to drive consumer engagement and the success of retail categories, brands, and products.
Placer.ai observes a panel of mobile devices in order to extrapolate and generate visitation insights for a variety of locations across the U.S. This panel covers only visitors from within the United States and does not represent or take into account international visitors.
Downtown districts in the nation’s major cities attract domestic travelers all year long with their iconic sights, lively entertainment, and diverse dining offerings. But each hub follows its own rhythm, shaped by distinct seasonal peaks and dips in visitor flow.
This white paper examines downtown hotel visitation patterns in four of the nation’s most popular destinations for domestic tourists: Miami, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Focusing on 20 downtown hotels in each city, the analysis explores seasonal variations in domestic travel, city-specific dynamics, and differentiating factors.
Domestic tourism has rebounded strongly in recent years, and hotels in Miami and Chicago have been the biggest beneficiaries. In 2024, visits to analyzed hotels in each of these cities’ downtown areas grew by 8.9% and 7.4%, respectively, compared to 2023. Meanwhile, hotels in downtown and midtown Manhattan saw a more modest 2.0% increase, while Los Angeles experienced a slight year-over-year (YoY) decline in downtown hotel visits.
One factor that may be driving Miami and Chicago’s stronger performance is their higher proportion of long-distance visitors, defined as those visiting from over 250 miles away. Miami remains a top destination for snowbirds and spring breakers, while Chicago serves as a cultural and entertainment hub for the sprawling Midwest. These long-distance leisure travelers may be more likely to splurge on downtown hotel stays during their trips, helping drive hotel visit growth in the two cities.
By contrast, hotels in the Los Angeles and Manhattan city centers drew lower shares of domestic travelers coming from less than 250 miles away. These shorter-haul domestic tourists may be less likely to splurge on downtown hotels than those taking longer vacations. Both cities are also surrounded by numerous regional getaway options that can draw long-haul leisure travelers away from their downtown cores.
Each of the four analyzed cities has its own unique ebbs and flows – and city center hotel visits reflect these patterns. Miami, with its warm, sunny climate, experiences influxes of tourists during the winter and spring, with March seeing the biggest jump in downtown hotel visits last year (13.0% above the monthly visit average). Chicago, which thrives in the summer with its many festivals and events, saw its biggest downtown hotel visit bump in August. Meanwhile, Manhattan experienced a major uptick in December, likely fueled by holiday tourism and New Year celebrations, and Los Angeles visits were highest in the summertime.
What drives these seasonal visit peaks? Miami has long been a top tourism destination, especially in early spring, when snowbirds and spring breakers flock to the city for sun and relaxation. In recent years, the city has seen a rise in short-term domestic tourism, suggesting that the city is becoming increasingly popular for weekend getaways. According to the Placer.ai Tourism Dashboard, the share of domestic tourists staying just one or two nights grew from 71.7% in March 2022 to 78.3% in March 2024.
This shift aligns with an impressive increase in the magnitude of downtown Miami’s springtime hotel visit peak: In March 2022, visits to downtown hotels were 5.0% above the monthly average for the year, a share that more than doubled by 2024 to 12.9%.
These numbers may mean that more people are choosing to head to Miami for a quick break from the cold – and staying in downtown hotels to make the most of their short getaway.
Chicago’s major August visit spike was likely driven by the Windy City’s impressive lineup of major summer festivals, from Lollapalooza to the Chicago Air and Water Show, which draw thousands of attendees from across the country.
Lollapalooza fueled the largest visit spike to the city – between Thursday, August 1st and Sunday, August 4th, visits to downtown Chicago hotels surged between 51.1% and 63.8% above 2024 daily averages for those days of the week. The Air and Water Show and the Chicago Jazz Festival also generated significant hotel visit increases – highlighting the boost these events bring to the city’s tourism and hospitality sector.
The Big Apple draws a diverse mix of visitors throughout the year. But in December – the city’s peak tourist season – visitors pour in from all over the country to skate in Rockefeller Center, browse Fifth Avenue’s festive window displays and experience the city’s unique holiday magic.
And analyzing data from hotels in midtown and downtown Manhattan reveals a striking shift in the types of visitors who stay in the heart of NYC during the holiday season. While visitors from other urban centers dominated downtown hotel stays throughout most of the year – accounting for 47.9% of visits from January to November 2024 – their share dropped to 42.0% in December 2024. Meanwhile, the share of guests from suburban areas and small towns rose from 37.3% to 41.0%, and the share of guests from rural and semi-rural areas nearly doubled, from 3.5% to 6.1%.
These patterns suggest that, though Manhattan typically attracts a wide range of visitors, the holiday season is uniquely appealing to tourists from smaller towns and suburban areas. Understanding these trends can provide crucial context for hotels and civic stakeholders alike as they work to maximize the opportunities presented by the city’s December visit surge.
Los Angeles hotels also experience significant demographic shifts during peak season. In July, visits to downtown LA hotels surged by 15.3% relative to the 2024 monthly visit average. And a closer look at audience segmentation data suggests a corresponding surge in the share of "Flourishing Families" – an Experian: Mosaic segment consisting of affluent, middle-aged households with children. Throughout the year, "Flourishing Families" comprised between 7.7% and 8.7% of the census block groups (CBGs) driving visits to downtown LA hotels. But in July, this share jumped to 9.9%.
These families may be taking advantage of summer vacations to enjoy Los Angeles’ cultural attractions and entertainment. Hotels and city stakeholders who understand the appeal the city holds for this demographic can better cater to them through family-friendly promotions and strategic marketing efforts to target these households.
Downtowns are making a comeback – and hotels in the heart of the nation’s major tourist hubs are reaping the benefits. By understanding who frequents these downtown hotels and when, local businesses and civic leaders can optimize their resource management and strategic planning to make the most of these opportunities.
