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In a challenging macroeconomic environment, full-service restaurants (FSRs) face mounting pressure to attract and retain diners. Recent foot traffic data underscores a growing divide among top FSR players:
Brinker International (EAT), parent to Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy, continued its winning streak with double-digit YoY visit growth in Q2.
Texas Roadhouse’s portfolio (TXRH), featuring its flagship steakhouse, Bubba-33, and Jaggers, saw moderate (+4.1%) YoY overall visit gains and slightly increased same-store visits, reflecting steady performance at existing sites amid ongoing expansion.
Bloomin’ Brands (Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar) experienced YoY foot traffic declines. While Bloomin’ narrowed its YoY visit gap in Q2, it remains squeezed between the aggressive value messaging of chains like Chili’s and the focused execution of competitors like Texas Roadhouse.
What lies behind Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse’s standout success in 2025?
Chili’s visits began to surge in Q2 2024 – the result of a turnaround plan executed by CEO Kevin Hochman after he took the helm in 2022. By reducing and refining the menu, boosting efficiency, and focusing on craveable yet affordable dishes, Chili’s cut costs and funneled the savings into compelling promotions. The company also worked to make its brand more fun and buzzworthy, setting the stage for viral TikTok moments amplified by well-coordinated influencer campaigns. Meanwhile, menu innovations – most notably the Big Smash Burger, added to the company’s “3 for Me” value menu in April 2024 – drove a lasting traffic boost that persisted into 2025 as the chain continued updating its value meal.
Texas Roadhouse, by contrast, has pursued steady expansion over the past several years. Like Chili’s, it relies on a focused, core menu to maintain quality and efficiency, but unlike Chili’s it rarely changes up its offerings, sticking instead to consistently excelling at what it does best. The steakhouse chain also famously forgoes nationwide advertising in favor of local engagement and a strong reputation for everyday value. Although per-location visit growth at Texas Roadhouse softened slightly in early 2025 – perhaps reflecting heightened consumer attention to limited-time offers and special promotions – the steakhouse continues to grow its footprint while limiting cannibalization.
Despite following different paths to growth, Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse have both made focused menus a core tenet of their strategies. And with menu simplification proving effective in today’s crowded market, it is no surprise that Bloomin’ Brands has recently outlined its own plans to cut costs and boost consistency by trimming menus – particularly at Outback Steakhouse.
Ultimately, foot traffic translates into market share, and both Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse have grown their portions of the overall FSR visit pie. While Texas Roadhouse has steadily augmented its reach over several years, Chili’s saw a sharp surge in H1 2025, propelled by its aggressive value-driven initiatives.
The varied performances of Brinker, Texas Roadhouse, and Bloomin’ Brands underscore the critical need for a clear, disciplined strategy in today’s competitive casual dining sector. And Chili's and Texas Roadhouse’s successes demonstrate how menu simplicity and operational efficiency can fuel distinct avenues to success.
As these brands head into the second half of 2025, several questions loom large for executives and investors:
The coming months will test whether Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse can maintain their winning formulas – and whether Bloomin’ Brands can course-correct through targeted menu reductions and promotional recalibrations.
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Health and wellness continue to be a major priority for most Americans, and the fitness industry continues to reap the benefits. This segment has ample room for all kinds of gym-goers, from luxury athletic chains like Life Time to more accessible and affordable options like Planet Fitness. We took a look at visitation patterns to these two chains in Q2 2025 to understand their recent performance
Upscale gym chain Life Time has evolved into a wellness powerhouse over the years, offering its members access to fitness classes, luxury amenities, and even co-working and residential spaces.
Though the chain experienced impressive visit growth in 2024, YoY visits slowed slightly in 2025 – perhaps owing in part to the difficult comparison to a particularly strong 2024. Still, visit gaps were fairly minimal – Q2 2025 visits were just -0.6% lower than in Q2 2024, and average visits per location were just -1.5% lower year-over-year.
And while visits may have moderated somewhat in the first half of the year, Life Time seems confident about its market position, with several new locations in the pipeline for 2025 and 2026.
While Life Time caters to gym-goers looking for a luxury wellness experience, Planet Fitness offers easily accessible, judgment-free fitness zones that welcomes all kinds of gym-goers. This model, characterized by its low monthly fees and basic amenities, aims to appeal to a broad consumer base.
And foot traffic trends suggest that this model is not just working, it’s thriving: YoY visits were elevated by 10.1% in Q2 2025, and average visits per location grew by 6.2% in the same period. This growth comes on the heels of its elevated visits throughout H2 2024 – a promising sign for the chain as it begins a major expansion push.
A closer look at visit data highlights that visit frequency at Life Time is consistently higher than at Planet Fitness. Throughout 2025, visitors to Planet Fitness visited an average of 4.1 to 4.4 times a month, while visitors to Life Time visit an average of 5.7 to 6.2 times a month.
This reflects the two brands’ different models: Life Time aims to be a true one-stop-shop for wellness, combining co-working spaces and residential living with its fitness offerings, elements that encourage members to visit more frequently. Meanwhile, Planet Fitness’s focus on affordability and a straightforward gym-going experience attracts budget-conscious gym-goers whose visits, while slightly less frequent, align with their demand for simple, convenient fitness.
Life Time and Planet Fitness occupy two very different ends of the fitness and wellness spectrum – and both are proving that there’s room for variety in the gym segment.
How might the second half of the year look for these two chains?
Visit Placer.ai/anchor for the latest data-driven fitness insights.
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First Watch, Denny's, IHOP, and Applebee's improved their visitation metrics in Q2 2025 relative to Q1 2025.
First Watch increased its total visits by 13.7% year-over-year, fueled both by its ongoing expansion and by a notable 4.1% increase in average visits per location, signaling significant room for continued growth.
In contrast to First Watch's expansion, Denny's has been closing stores. Its smaller footprint led to a 4.9% dip in overall visits, but its remaining restaurants became significantly busier, with average visits per location up 5.1% year-over-year – suggesting that loyal customers are consolidating at its remaining stores
Meanwhile, Dine brands IHOP and Applebee's also improved their visitation trends. IHOP narrowed its overall visits and average visits per location declines while Applebee's turned its traffic dips into gains in Q2, with overall visits up 2.7% YoY and average visits per venue up 5.5% – perhaps thanks to Dine's marketing efforts around the brand.
Overall, the strong Q2 performance of these four chains highlights the resilience of the value-driven casual dining sector – and may indicate that consumers may be 'trading down' from more expensive restaurants while still seeking a sit-down experience.
While First Watch caters to a wealthier clientele (with median HHI of $88.7K compared to the nationwide baseline of $79.6K), it's the chains’ serving of lower-income areas – Applebee's, Denny's, and IHOP – that attract a higher share of frequent monthly visitors. This suggests that loyalty is not dictated by disposable income; instead, brands that offer reliability and affordability can become a go-to option for their customers, driving high visit frequency even in times of macroeconomic uncertainty.
The strong Q2 performance of these chains highlights the casual dining sector's resilience and reveals two distinct paths to success in today's economy. While First Watch thrives on aggressive expansion into higher-income areas, brands like Denny's and Applebee's prove that cultivating deep loyalty among a value-conscious base through affordability and optimization is an equally powerful and sustainable strategy.
For more data-driven dining insights, visit placer.ai/anchor.
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CAVA started the year off strong with double-digit traffic increases between January and April 2025, but growth slowed down slightly towards the end of H1. Still, the chain capped off the quarter with a 8.7% YoY overall boost in visits in Q2 2025 while visits per location held essentially steady at -1.0% – suggesting that CAVA's expansion is not cannibalizing traffic from its existing venues.
Sweetgreen experienced similar traffic patterns, with overall visits up 8.6% YoY in Q2 2025 and a visit gap of 3.1% – a somewhat larger dip than CAVA's visits per location decline, though still a manageable figure for a brand in a heavy expansion phase.
While CAVA and sweetgreen share a lot of similarities, analyzing the YoY change in Q2 2025 visits by DMA highlights their different expansion philosophies. CAVA's strategy seems focused on market depth, where entry into new markets is part of a broader strategy of establishing and strengthening regional clusters. In contrast, sweetgreen's approach seems to prioritize nationwide breadth – a strategy underscored by its plans to enter three distinct geographically separate markets in 2025.
The map reflects the impact of these distinct strategies: In Q2 2025, CAVA's YoY visit growth is mostly concentrated in distinct geographic clusters, while sweetgreen's gains are more geographically dispersed across the country's major metropolitan areas.
The Q2 2025 visit growth of CAVA and sweetgreen demonstrates that multiple viable paths exist for scaling a premium fast-casual brand. While both approaches are currently driving significant overall growth, the crucial test ahead will be which strategy can better maintain store-level profitability and brand loyalty as they continue to scale.
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Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) have had to work hard to stay competitive in 2025, contending with inflationary pressures, cautious consumer spending, and a wave of value-focused dining alternatives.
So with the year now more than halfway through, we analyzed location analytics for leading QSR players Yum! Brands, RBI, and Wendy’s to see which chains defied expectations in Q2 2025 – and how they managed to remain ahead of the curve.
Rising costs and growing competition have eroded fast food’s once-formidable value advantage. Convenience and grocery stores now offer more substantial dining options, giving budget-conscious consumers more reasons to look beyond traditional QSRs. Meanwhile, fast-casual brands and even some full-service restaurants (like Chili’s) have introduced more elevated dining experiences at price points close to fast-food levels.
Despite these challenges, Yum! Brands and RBI have remained resilient. Yum! Brands posted modest year-over-year (YoY) traffic growth in Q2 2025 – while RBI, whose domestic footprint contracted somewhat, saw a narrowing YoY visit gap. But both chains maintained average visits per location near last year’s levels, underscoring their ability to navigate a persistently tough environment.
What’s behind RBI’s narrowing visit gap?
Popeyes emerged as a bright spot in Q2 2025, with overall foot traffic rising by 0.6% despite a reduced domestic store count – and average visits per location climbing 2.2%. This marks a notable improvement from Q1, when traffic was down 3.2%. The chicken chain’s blend of innovation and value – from new chicken wing flavors in late 2024 and early 2025 to limited-time offers (LTOs) like the $6 Big Box – appears to be winning over diners.
Burger King, RBI’s most-visited chain, also contributed to the company’s improved traffic. The brand narrowed its YoY visit gap from 3.4% in Q1 to 2.1% in Q2, thanks in part to expanded value deals and timely tie-ins such as a How to Train Your Dragon-themed meal. Meanwhile, average visits per location at Burger King nearly matched 2024 levels, with the gap shrinking from 2.0% in Q1 to 0.2% in Q2.
Yum! Brands’ primary growth engine has been Taco Bell – by far the company’s largest U.S. banner. By frequently introducing new menu items while keeping an eye on affordability – through offerings like the expanded Luxe Cravings Box – Taco Bell has sustained its reputation as a top-value treat. And building on a strong Q1, the Mexican QSR giant saw overall foot traffic climb by 2.6% YoY in Q2, with average visits per location growing by 1.5% YoY.
Elsewhere in Yum!’s portfolio, KFC and Pizza Hut posted YoY visit gaps in Q2. Still, the two brands’ average-visit-per-location gaps remained modest, indicating that consumer demand remains healthy at existing stores despite some closures.
Wendy’s is another QSR relying on value deals and menu expansions to weather the sector’s choppy waters. After two years of steady YoY same-store sales growth in the U.S., Wendy’s recorded a 2.8% comp sales decline in Q1 2025, mirrored by a 3.4% dip in average visits per location.
But Wendy’s isn’t sitting still. In March, it updated its Frostys menu, followed in April by a crowd-pleasing Cajun Crunch Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Alongside its existing value menu, Wendy’s is also leveraging special promotions this summer – from free Frostys on July 20th (National Ice Cream Day) and free fries every “Fryday” to an upcoming “Meal of Misfortune” tied to the latest season of Netflix’s Wednesday. And though visits in Q2 2025 still trailed 2024 levels, Wendy’s consistently narrowing visit gap points to a potentially brighter outlook as the year progresses.
To succeed in 2025, QSRs must excel at both menu innovation and value – no easy feat – giving today’s savvy and budget-conscious consumers a compelling reason to spend. And though 2025 promises more headwinds, chains that effectively strike this balance may be well-positioned to thrive.
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Kohl’s emergence as a hot new meme stock wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card for 2025. The retailer has grappled with declining sales and ongoing leadership challenges, driving a steep drop in its share price over the past several years. But beyond the internet buzz, is there any real reason for optimism about Kohl’s outlook?
Despite recent setbacks, Kohl’s surprised investors in Q1 2025 with a smaller-than-expected 3.9% year-over-year (YoY) drop in comparable sales – fueling speculation that a turnaround might be in the works. The company’s foot traffic gap also narrowed to just 2.7% YoY in Q1, a notable improvement from the 6.0% gap in Q4 2024. In Q2 2025, too, Kohl’s visit-per-location gap remained relatively modest at 3.1%. But monthly YoY data showed substantial volatility, with June experiencing a sharp decline while March through May visits per location held close to last year’s levels.
All in all, Kohl’s clearly has a long way to go to reclaim its former glory – and it’s too soon to tell whether a comeback is indeed in the cards. But with the right strategy, the data does point to some underlying strength that may help the company regain its footing – meme stock or not.
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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.
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.
