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Last summer’s touring sensations Taylor Swift and Beyonce held concerts that will remain in the hearts of many. With thousands in attendance, both live tours were absolute juggernauts. It was like an adrenaline shot for the performing arts category after COVID-induced closures. Remember the days of drive-in concerts as a panacea? While these two reigning Queens of Music took top billing, there are hundreds of local venues around the country that cater to smaller audiences at a time but are no less impactful on their communities. These are the heart and soul for local plays, musicals, symphonies, operas, touring bands, and art exhibitions. Fundraisers are often held at community performance venues, and they can be incubators for performers to move on to a larger stage.
Placer recently attended the California Presenters Conference, which includes representatives from California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Programming directors, events managers, and community liaisons all met to share best practices, challenges, and successes. One box office manager, Jonathan Lizardo of the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University, noted that “Nostalgia” was an important theme at his performing arts center, with a recent live show of the Animaniacs in Concert proving to be a hit with adults and kids alike. In this case, his patrons were seeking some escapism and levity in their lives. On the other end of the spectrum, the arts can also be a powerful way to engage the audience in more serious issues, as one panel on Responding to Global Conflict at arts venues drew a crowd. Another topic of interest was the importance of engaging youth with the arts, through school-sponsored visits or after school enrichment. Many University performing arts centers reps were also in attendance, such as USC Vision and Voices, Stanford Live, Caltech Presents, and Seattle University.
Placer’s presentation touched on macrotrends around discretionary spend, examples of venue attendance around the US, an analysis of the visitation trends, audience profile, and economic impact of Taylor Swift’s US tour, and in depth look at a select group of performing arts centers in Arizona to see the role that they play in their community.
Mesa Arts Center has had the highest overall visitation in the past 12 months. Located in Mesa, AZ, it encompasses over 210,000 sq ft and was completed in 2005 at the cost of $95 million. In addition to four performance venues, it is also home to Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. Programming is suited to a multitude of interests, including National Geographic Live, Broadway, classical music, popular music, ethnic artists, western artists, and dance. It also offers Art Studio for visual arts classes; Opportunities for Ages 55+ such as flamenco classes; and Festivals and Events, such as Dia de Los Muertos. Within the theaters complex, there are four theaters--the 1,570-seat Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater, 550-seat Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater, 200-seatNesbitt/Elliott Playhouse, and the 99-seat Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio.
The Chandler Center for the Arts recently celebrated its 35th season. Upcoming performances include ballet like Coppelia or live music, such as Billy Joel’s The Stranger. Entertaining acts such as Stomp, Piano Battle, and Cirque du Soleil will also make their way over during the 2024-2025 season. Located in downtown Chandler, the venue includes three dynamic performance spaces (the 1,500-seat Main Stage, the 350-seat Hal Bogle Theatre, and the 250-seat Recital Hall) as well as two extensive art galleries (The Gallery at CCA and Vision Gallery).
While Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts had the fewest absolute visits in the past 12 months, its year-over-year variance increase has been the highest.
What might account for the difference, one might wonder. Fortunately, Placer data enables one to compare a venue against itself in order to highlight differences from one year to the next. According to the 2023-2024 calendar, it appears that Hubbard Street Dance Chicago playing 2 nights in a row, was a hit with the audience during the week of Jan 29-Feb 4.
It appears the increase in visits cannot be attributed to a single segment. In fact, visits across multiple segments increased year-over-year when comparing May 2023 - April 2024 (blue) vs. May 2022-April 2023 (red) per Spatial.ai PersonaLive.
The most recent 12 months also attracted visits from a much larger trade area.
Migration may also be a factor in the increase of visits to the Scottsdale Performing Arts Center. Placer’s Migration Dashboard is noting an increase in both residents and seasonal visitors over the years.
Eatertainment chains – entertainment concepts that combine dining and play – are thriving in the current experience economy. We dove into the data for game and restaurant chains Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment (acquired by Dave & Buster’s in 2022) to better understand how eatertainment is driving success in 2024.
The past few years have been challenging ones for restaurants. But eatertainment has a special draw – and since November 2023, both Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment have seen mainly positive YoY visit growth.
In January 2024, visits slowed in the wake of extreme weather that rocked much of the country and led many would-be diners to stay home. But in February and March 2024 things picked up again, with the two chains seeing YoY visit growth ranging from 4.6% to 10.6%.
Again in April 2024, both Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment experienced minor visit gaps. But a closer look at weekly visits reveals that this was largely due to a calendar shift: April 2024 had one fewer Saturday than April 2023 – the chains' busiest day of the week by far. (In Q1 2024, Saturdays accounted for 33.8% of total visits to Main Event Entertainment and 33.3% of visits to Dave & Buster’s). And during nearly every individual week of April 2024, the brands maintained strongly positive momentum.
Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment recent visit growth has been partly fueled by the two chains’ growing store counts. And a deeper dive into how the chains’ visitation patterns have evolved since COVID shows why they are well-positioned for continued expansion – and success.
One factor likely contributing to the eatertainment brands’ strength is the increasing loyalty of their visitors. Dave & Buster’s leveled up its rewards program in 2021 – and has been upping its loyalty game ever since. Members can access special deals, like the chain’s recent 50% off food promotion, and earn points by playing games or ordering off the menu. Main Event, too, keeps customers coming back with a variety of promotions, from Monday Night Madness to Kids Eat Free Tuesdays – a particularly attractive offer for the chain’s family-oriented audience.
And since 2019, both chains have seen a steady increase in the share of visits made by customers frequenting the chain at least twice a month.
In addition, both Dave & Buster’s and Main Event appear to be finding success by leaning into the evening daypart.
Back in 2019, Main Event introduced a late-night menu and announced that all of its stores would be open until at least 12:00 AM – and even later on Fridays and Saturdays. (Even before that, some of its stores were open during the wee hours). Dave & Buster’s has also taken steps to increase its night-time business with special late-night deals and happy hours.
And location analytics indicates that this strategy is bearing fruit. Over the past several years, both brands have experienced an increase in their share of late-night visits (i.e. those taking place between 9:00 PM and 2:00 AM). And in Q1 2024, Dave & Buster’s and Main Event saw 23.9% and 27.3% of their total visits during the late-night daypart, respectively.
While it might be assumed that at-home entertainment and the "Netflix effect" pose a threat to eatertainment chains (particularly during the evening hours, as there is more content than ever to get home to), the data suggests that many consumers are staying out late for social dining and entertainment.
Demand for dining and social experiences continues to grow. As consumer behavior and demographics evolve, how will these eatertainment chains perform and which new concepts may rise to prominence as 2024 progresses?
Visit Placer.ai to find out.
In this blog, we dive into the latest location analytics and demographic data for luxury retailers and high-end department stores and take a closer look at consumer behavior in the upscale shopping space.
Over the past year, the Placer.ai Luxury Retail Index – including brands like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Chanel – saw year-over-year (YoY) foot traffic growth during crucial shopping seasons. May and June 2023 had significant increases in YoY visits, perhaps due to an influx of recreational shoppers on summer vacation, and July saw an uptick as well. YoY visits peaked again in November and December, likely reflecting the popularity of upscale retail corridors during the all-important holiday shopping season.
Some of this strength may be a result of affluent consumers refocusing their shopping on the U.S.: In 2022, many high-income shoppers chose to purchase big-ticket items abroad due to various economic benefits. But by 2023, demand for domestic luxury retail appeared to rebound, as some upscale retail clients “repatriated” their discretionary dollars.
To be sure, visit gaps re-emerged in some months of early 2024 – though these are partly attributable to factors like January’s unusually stormy weather and an April calendar shift. (April 2024 had one fewer Saturday than April 2023, providing less opportunity for visits in the highly discretionary category). But March 2024 also saw YoY visit growth. And given how well luxury retailers performed during their busiest months of year, the category may very well rally once again heading into the summer.
Recent location intelligence also offers encouraging signs from the high-end department store space.
Like luxury retailers, high-end department stores saw narrowing visit gaps during the peak holiday shopping season – with Saks Fifth Avenue seeing a YoY uptick in November 2024, and Neiman Marcus seeing one in December.
In March 2024, YoY traffic turned positive for Nordstrom (3.3%), Bloomingdale’s (3.1%), and Neiman Marcus (3.1%), while Saks Fifth Avenue had just a -0.6% visit gap. And although April 2024 was a challenging month for the retailers, perhaps due in part to the calendar shift mentioned above, all four upscale department stores outperformed the traditional apparel category – another indication that high-end department stores may be poised for a comeback.
Analyzing demographic changes in the captured markets of both luxury brands and high-end department stores indicates that increasingly affluent consumers are the main drivers of visits to the segment. (A chain’s captured market is obtained by weighting each Census Block Group (CBG) in its trade area according to the CBG’s share of visits to the chain – and so reflects the population that actually visits the chain in practice).
Over the last four quarters, visitors to luxury retailers and high-end department stores came from areas with higher median household incomes (HHIs) than in previous years. For example, during the period between Q2 2023 and Q1 2024, the median HHI of Bloomingdale’s captured market was $122.1K, an increase from $119.7K between April 2022 and March 2023, and $117.3K from April 2021 to March 2022.
In the face of recent inflationary pressures, aspirational luxury shoppers (who tend to be slightly less affluent) are likely quicker to adjust their behavior and trade down to more affordable brands. Meanwhile, prestige luxury shoppers – those with the highest incomes – tend to be relatively resilient, and so are able to continue shopping at their favorite luxury brands, driving up the HHI in these retailers’ trade areas.
Luxury retailers and high-end department stores have had recent foot traffic successes, while their clientele has become increasingly affluent. Will these brands continue their upward visit trajectories – and how will they leverage affluent foot traffic going forward?
Visit Placer.ai to find out.
Discretionary retail has faced its fair share of headwinds over the past few years, from pandemic-related restrictions to inflation. And while prices have stabilized, subdued consumer confidence continues to weigh on non-essential segments. But even in this challenging environment, some companies, like Ulta Beauty, are continuing to see visit growth, while others, like Gap Inc. and its portfolio of apparel brands, are making a comeback.
With Q2 2024 well underway, we take a look at the foot traffic patterns for these companies to see how they are faring.
In 2020, Placer.ai predicted that Ulta Beauty would be an unstoppable force in beauty retail – and the chain has impressed ever since. Over the past several years, Ulta has been on a consistent upward visit trajectory, propelled by strong demand for affordable luxuries (the so-called “Lipstick Effect”), and consumer interest in self-care.
And though the pace of Ulta’s tremendous YoY visit growth has moderated somewhat in recent months, the beauty giant continues to thrive – drawing even more visitors in early 2024 than during the equivalent period of last year. Between January and April 2024, YoY visits to the beauty retailer remained consistently elevated, outperforming the wider Beauty & Wellness space.
The fashion segment has experienced rising prices and persistent inflation over the past few years, leading to a new era of discount and thrift shopping. And iconic apparel retailers like Gap Inc – operator of Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic – have not been immune to the challenges facing the category.
But through a combination of high-profile hirings and revitalized branding efforts, Gap Inc. has been readying itself for a comeback. In Q4 2023, the retailer announced stronger-than-expected results, driven primarily by Gap and Old Navy. And recent foot traffic to the company’s largest brands provides further evidence that its turnaround efforts may be starting to bear fruit.
During the all-important November and December shopping season last year, Gap and Old Navy saw YoY visits hold steady or increase, outpacing the wider Apparel space. In January 2024, visits to the two chains declined in the wake of an Arctic blast that kept many shoppers at home. But in February, Gap enjoyed a 0.7% YoY visit bump, while Old Navy saw just a mild drop – less than that of the overall Apparel category. In March 2024, both Gap and Old Navy enjoyed strong YoY visit growth, far outperforming overall Apparel – likely driven by sales events held by each brand. And though April saw YoY visits decline once again, with the two chains falling behind Apparel, drilling down into weekly data offers a different perspective.
Both Gap and Old Navy started off April with lackluster YoY performance, perhaps due in part to the comparison to an early April 2023 that included Easter weekend. But towards the end of April and beginning of May, Gap and Old Navy’s’ visit gaps narrowed – with some weeks seeing positive YoY visit growth, and with the two chains once again either nearly on par with, or outperforming, overall Apparel.
Gap Inc. itself is bullish about what the next year holds in store, with big names like Zak Posen joining the Gap family in hopes of propelling the company forward. Though it may be premature to declare an end to the troubles that have plagued the clothier in recent years, early 2024 foot traffic provides further evidence that the company is heading in the right direction.
Ulta continues to experience visit growth, highlighting Beauty’s enduring appeal. Meanwhile, Gap and Old Navy are witnessing narrowed visit gaps and some weekly visit growth.
Is the Apparel segment making a comeback? Can the Beauty segment sustain its positive momentum indefinitely?
Visit Placer.ai to keep up to date with the latest retail developments.
We dove into the data to check in with specialty discount chains Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Five Below. How did they fare in early 2024? And what can the two brands’ recent performance tell us about what lies in store for them in the months ahead?
A quest for bargains and the promise of unexpected finds have kept Discount & Dollar Store shoppers coming so far in 2024. Despite lapping a strong 2023, foot traffic to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Five Below remained consistently above last year’s levels between January and April 2024, partly due to the chains’ continued expansions.
Though both chains draw Easter shoppers with special seasonal offerings, Five Below’s primary focus on low-ticket recreational merchandise makes it a natural destination for shoppers eager to fill their baskets with candy and other inexpensive holiday items. And Q1 2024 foot traffic to the chain appeared to be shaped by Easter shopping patterns. The brand’s YoY visits increased significantly in February with the roll-out of holiday wares, and the Saturday before Easter (March 30th, 2024) saw a sizable foot traffic boost that was 38.7% above the chainwide average for Saturdays in Q1 2024 – contributing to the month’s elevated visits overall. This pull-forward in demand, together with the comparison to an April 2023 that included Easter Sunday, at least partially explains Five Below’s more modest visit growth in April.
For both Ollie’s and Five Below, strong traffic since the beginning of the year indicates continued YoY gains may be expected in the months ahead.
In addition to YoY visit growth in the early months of 2024, Ollie’s and Five Below are seeing elevated weekend visits and an increase in longer visits, indicative of a robust treasure-hunting culture that is driving demand.
In Q1 2024, 37.8% of visits to Ollie’s and 37.4% of Five Below’s visits occurred on weekends, while weekend visits accounted for only 32.8% of visits to the wider Discount & Dollar Store category. This is likely due to Ollie’s and Five Below’s growing notoriety as destinations for treasure hunting – a pastime perhaps preferred at the end of the work week when schedules are more flexible.
Meanwhile, the share of visits lasting over 30 minutes in Q1 2024 increased for both brands YoY, even as it slightly declined for the category as a whole. This indicates that shoppers drawn to Ollie’s and Five Below’s recreational vibes spent even more time browsing the aisles in Q1 2024 than they did last year. Ollie’s closeout buying model and shifting array of steeply discounted brand name merchandise is especially conducive to the thrill of the hunt – and the chain saw a remarkable 41.3% of visits lasting more than half an hour in Q1.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Five Below continue to demonstrate their consumer appeal in 2024. As the brands expand, holidays prove to be retail highlights while a culture of treasure hunting has shown its capacity to drive consistent traffic.
For more data-driven retail insights, visit Placer.ai.
In the spirit of retail quarterly earnings season, it has been eye-opening to see the disparity in performances, especially among specialty retailers. This week, Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) reported first quarter earnings, with comparable dollar sales up 4.6%, a strong growth number compared to many in the industry. Urban Outfitters, Inc. benefitted from a diversified retail portfolio, with the growth stemming from its Anthropologie, Free People and Nuuly brands, both in-store and online, while its namesake brand continues to be challenged over the past few years. As far as specialty apparel retailers go, the company has done a fantastic job of creating retail experiences that are unique and irreplaceable for their customers, and finding true competitors of its brands proves difficult.
Looking at Q1 2024 traffic performance, Free People and Anthropologie led the way, echoing the earnings release. Free People visits, excluding FP Movement, grew 8% year-over-year and Anthropologie saw an increase in traffic of 5% year-over-year. Urban Outfitters, on the other hand, actually saw traffic levels beat sales performance, with traffic flat compared to Q1 2023.
Anthropologie, despite retail and economic headwinds, has tightened up its value proposition to consumers and has a clear vision of its target shopper. Using Spatial.ai’s PersonaLive segmentation (as shown below), Anthropologie attracted the most visits from Ultra Wealthy Families in Q1 2024, followed by Young Professionals and Sunset Boomers. Compared to the other portfolio brands, Anthropologie attracts a higher median income consumer and over indexes with more mature consumers, two groups that have higher levels of spending power in today’s economy and haven’t decidedly altered their retail habits as much as middle- and lower-income shoppers. Anthropologie has clearly benefited from the strength of its visitors, and its curated multi-category retail experience that has shielded the chain from the struggles of other home furnishing and apparel retailers. It will be interesting to watch if the brand is able to continue to maintain its success through the remainder of the year if economic conditions become further challenged.
Free People appeals to a consumer somewhat in the middle of both Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, and has been able to capitalize on Anthropologie’s success and hedge against Urban Outfitters’ struggles. Free People’s design sense makes it a crowd-favorite but also a source for many “dupes” on other retail platforms; however, the influx of similar designs haven’t seen to slow their momentum. FP Movement, the brand’s athleisure line that also has stand alone retail locations, has been another lever for growth. Using Placer.ai to look at three FP movement locations compared to the Free People chain, FP movement grew visits faster than the parent brand, and also had a higher dwell time. Urban Outfitters, Inc. disclosed that dollar sales for Free People were up almost 18% in Q1 2024, but the company doesn't break out sales between FP Movement and Free People. There are some risks with the athleisure market, as brands face softening performance and consumers shift away from more discretionary apparel categories. FP movement has created core and in-demand silhouettes that drive traffic, but with fashion trends, that may not be enough to sustain long-term visit growth.
Finally, there’s the lackluster performance from the namesake brand. Younger adults have so many retail options at their fingertips that retailers who cater to these consumers can often be lost in the shuffle, especially with so much competition coming from online and offline retail. Urban Outfitters long curated a distinct look and feel, as well as a mix of national brands and private labels that differentiated it from competitors; with retailers in similar price bands like Abercrombie & Fitch staging a comeback, Urban Outfitters has lost its footing. Looking into the consumer segments using Spatial.ai’s PersonaLive, Educated Urbanites and Young Professionals top Urban Outfitters segmentation; price-sensitivity could be making younger shoppers more discerning in their apparel purchases. Off-price may also be a factor here and provide higher levels of competition for the customer base. Urban Outfitters holds a lot of brand value, and if the brand is able to right size assortments and value in the short term, there could be upside to bring it closer to its sister brands.
Compared to most of the specialty retail narratives out in the market, Urban Outfitters, Inc. has a lot of positive momentum with a few of its brands. Nuuly, its subscription rental service, was also called out as a positive highlight of the quarter, and learnings about consumer preferences through that service could help to inform the go-forward strategies at Anthropologie, Free People and Urban Outfitters. There is a lot to celebrate as it relates to its discretionary retail fleet, despite the challenges at the namesake brand, and proves that specialty retail that still feels “special” has consumers' lasting attention.
The New York office scene is buzzing once again, as companies from JPMorgan to Meta double down on return-to-office (RTO) mandates. But just how did New York office foot traffic fare in 2024? How did Big Apple office foot traffic compare to that of other major business hubs nationwide? And how is New York’s office recovery impacting post-COVID trends like the TGIF work week? Are office visits still concentrated mid-week, or are people coming in more on Fridays and Mondays? And how has Manhattan’s RTO affected local commuting patterns?
We dove into the data to find out.
In 2024, New York City cemented its position as the nationwide leader in office recovery. Thanks in part to remote work crackdowns by banking behemoths like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan, visits to NYC office buildings in 2024 were just 13.1% below pre-pandemic (2019) levels.
For comparison, Miami’s office foot traffic remained 16.2% below pre-pandemic levels, while Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Boston saw significantly larger gaps at 28.6%, 37.8%, and 43.9%, respectively.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the Big Apple’s robust year-over-five-year (Yo5Y) recovery, the pace of year-over-year (YoY) visit growth to NYC office buildings was somewhat slower in 2024 than in other major East Coast business centers. Still, New York’s YoY office recovery rate of 12.4% outpaced the nationwide baseline, and came in just slightly below Washington, D.C.’s 15.2% and Atlanta’s 14.6%.
Interestingly, New York’s return to office has not led to a significant retreat from the TGIF work week that emerged during COVID. In 2024, just 11.9% of weekday (Monday to Friday) visits to NYC offices took place on Fridays – only slightly more than the 11.5% recorded in 2023 and significantly below the pre-pandemic baseline of 17.2%.
Meanwhile, Monday has quietly regained its footing as the dreaded start of the New York work week. After dropping significantly in 2022 and 2023, the share of weekday office visits taking place on Mondays rebounded to 18.2% in 2024 – just slightly below 2019’s 19.5%. Still, Tuesday remained the Big Apple’s busiest in-office day of the week last year, accounting for nearly a quarter (24.6%) of weekday NYC office foot traffic.
And diving into Yo5Y data for each day of the work week shows just how much New York’s overall recovery is driven by mid-week visits – and especially Tuesday ones. In 2024, Friday visits to NYC office buildings were down 40.2% compared to 2019. But on Tuesdays, visits were essentially on par with pre-pandemic levels (-0.3%), even as nationwide office visits remained 24.6% below 2019.
Another post-COVID trend that has shown staying power in New York is the growing share of office visits coming from employees who live nearby. As hybrid schedules become the norm, it seems that those commuting more frequently are often just a short subway ride -or even a stroll- away.
The share of NYC office workers coming from less than five miles away, for example, has risen steadily since COVID, reaching 46.0% in 2024. Over the same period, the share of workers coming from 5-10 miles, 10-15 miles, or 25+ miles away has declined.
Looking at commuting trends across the East Coast helps put New York City’s shift into perspective. In 2019, NYC’s share of nearby commuters was on par with Washington, D.C. and slightly below Boston. But while both cities experienced moderate increases in local commuters between 2019 and 2024, New York pulled ahead, outpacing all other analyzed cities in its share of nearby office workers last year.
Miami and Atlanta – two other standout cities in office recovery – also saw significant growth in the percentage of short-distance commuters over the past five years. This trend underscores a broader shift: As hybrid work reshapes commuting habits, employees across multiple markets are more likely to go into the office if they live nearby, reducing reliance on long-haul commutes.
As the nation’s office recovery leader, New York offers a glimpse into what other cities can expect as office visitation rates continue to improve. Even at just 13.1% below pre-pandemic levels, NYC office visit levels continue to rise. And as recovery nears completion, trends that took hold during COVID remain firmly entrenched.
The full-service dining segment has experienced its fair share of challenges over the past few years, with pandemic-era closures, rising food and labor costs, and cutbacks in discretionary spending contributing to visit lags. In 2024, visits were down 0.2% year over year (YoY) and remained 8.4% below 2019 levels – a reflection of the significant number of venues that permanently closed over COVID and a testament to the industry's ongoing struggle to regain its pre-pandemic footing.
Yet, even in a difficult environment, some full-service restaurant (FSR) chains are thriving. These brands aren’t waiting for the industry to rebound – they're becoming trendsetters in their own right, proving that stand-out strategy is everything in a challenging market.
This white paper explores brands that are harnessing three key differentiators – fixed-price value offerings, elevated social experiences, and a laser focus on product – to drive full-service dining success in 2025.
One of the most defining trends over the past few years has been the unrelenting march of price increases. And as consumers continue to seek out ways to save, some chains are staying ahead of the pack with fixed-price value offerings that help diners squeeze out the very best bang for their buck.
Golden Corral, the all-you-can-eat buffet chain that lets kids under three eat for free, is one FSR that is benefiting from consumers’ current value orientation. Despite closing several locations in 2024, overall visits to the chain still tracked closely with 2023 levels, declining by just 0.5% – while the average number visits to each Golden Corral restaurant grew 3.8% YoY.
Golden Corral’s value proposition is resonating strongly with budget-conscious Americans eager to enjoy a wide variety of comfort foods at an affordable price. The chain’s visitors tend to come from trade areas with lower median household incomes (HHIs) than traditional full-service restaurant (FSR) diners. And these patrons are willing to travel to enjoy the chain’s value buffet offerings, many of which are situated in rural areas and may require a longer drive. In 2024, 25.2% of Golden Corral’s diners came from over 30 miles away – compared to just 19.2% for the wider FSR segment.
Golden Corral’s continued flourishing proves that in an era of rising costs, diners are willing to go the extra mile (literally) for a restaurant that delivers both quality and affordability.
Children’s party space and eatertainment destination Chuck E. Cheese has had a transformative few years. Following the retirement of its iconic animatronic band, the chain shifted its focus to a new membership model, announcing a revamped Summer of Fun pass in May 2024 – including unlimited visits over a two-month period, steep discounts on food, and up to 250 games per day. The pass proved incredibly popular, with YoY visits surging by 15.6% in May 2024, when the offer launched – a sharp turnaround from the YoY visit declines of the previous months. Recognizing the strong demand, Chuck E. Cheese extended the program year-round – and the strategy has paid off as YoY visits remained positive through the end of 2024.
A closer look at the data suggests that parents are making full use of their unlimited passes: The share of weekday visits was higher in H2 2024 than in H2 2023, likely due to families using their passes for weekday entertainment rather than reserving visits for weekends and special occasions.
At the same time, the share of repeat visitors – those frequenting the chain at least twice a month – also grew. Although these repeat visitors may not purchase additional gameplay beyond the flat fee, their more frequent on-site presence likely translates into increased sales of pizza and other menu items.
While value has been a major motivator for restaurant-goers in recent years, low prices aren’t the only drivers of FSR success. Brands offering unique experiences aimed at maximizing social interaction are also seeing outsized gains.
Though many of these more innovative venues tend to be on the more expensive side, they draw enthusiastic crowds willing to pony up for concepts that combine good food with fun social occasions. And some of the more successful ones bolster perceived value through offerings like fixed-price menus or club memberships.
Korean cuisine has been on the rise in recent years, with restaurants like Bonchon Chicken and GEN Korean BBQ House making significant waves in the dining space. Another chain drawing attention is KPOT Korean BBQ and Hot Pot, which began modestly in 2018 and has since expanded to over 150 locations nationwide.
Diners at KPOT can customize their meals by selecting from a variety of proteins, broths, sauces, and side dishes, known as banchan, while barbecuing or cooking in a hotpot at their table and sipping on the drinks from the menu’s extensive selection. And though pricier than Golden Corral, KPOT also offers an all-you-can-eat experience that lets customers squeeze the most value out of their indulgence.
Location intelligence shows that KPOT’s experiential dining model is resonating with customers: Since Q4 2019, the average number of visits to each KPOT location has risen steadily – even as the chain has grown its footprint – while the average dwell time has also increased. Indeed, rather than a quick dining stop, KPOT has become a destination for guests to linger, enjoying both food and drinks – and an interactive and social experience.
By positioning themselves as gathering places for fine wine aficionados, wine-club-focused concepts such as Postino WineCafe and Cooper’s Hawk Winery are also benefiting from today’s consumers’ emphasis on social experiences. The two upscale dining destinations offer club memberships that combine periodic wine releases with a variety of perks.
And the data suggests that the model is strongly resonating with diners. Both Postino and Cooper’s Hawk have grown their footprints over the past year, driving substantial YoY chain-wide visit increases while average visits per location grew as well – showing that the expansions and experiential offerings are meeting robust demand.
And analyzing the two chains’ captured markets shows that the wine club model enjoys broad appeal across a variety of audience segments.
Unsurprisingly, both wine clubs’ visitor bases include higher-than-average shares of affluent consumers with money to spend, including Experian: Mosaic’s “Power Elite”, “Booming with Confidence”, and “Flourishing Families” segments (the nation’s wealthiest families, as well as affluent suburban and middle-aged households). But the two chains also attract younger, more budget-conscious consumers – Postino, which has many downtown locations, is popular among “Singles and Starters”, while Cooper’s Hawk is popular among “Promising Families” - i.e. young couples with children.
The success of the two brands across various segments underscores the impact of a distinctive experience – especially when paired with a loyalty-boosting membership – in attracting today’s consumers.
Value offerings and unique experiences have the power to drive restaurant visits – but ultimately, a good meal in an inviting atmosphere is a draw in and of itself, as is shown by the success of First Watch and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill.
Breakfast-only restaurant First Watch excels at ambiance and menu innovation, changing up its offerings five times a year and striving to maintain a neighborhood feel at each of its locations.
First Watch has made a point of leaning into its strengths, eschewing discounts in favor of a consistently elevated dining experience and doubling down its strongest day part (weekend brunch), rather than trying to artificially drive up interest at other times.
And the strategy appears to be working: In 2024, visits to First Watch increased 6.6% YoY – with Saturdays and Sundays between 11:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. remaining its busiest dayparts by far. Visitors to First Watch also tend to linger over their meals more than at other breakfast chains – in 2024, the restaurant experienced an average dwell time of 54.9 minutes, significantly longer than the 48.7-minute average at other breakfast-focused restaurants.
By focusing on what matters most to its diners – innovative and exciting food and a welcoming atmosphere that allows patrons to enjoy their meals at a leisurely pace – First Watch is continuing to flourish.
Another chain that is growing its footprint and its audience on the strength of a menu and ambiance-focused approach is Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. The chain, known for its “polished casual” vibe and bold, unique flavors, added several new restaurants last year, leading to a 6.5% increase in overall visits. Over the same period, the average number of visits to each Firebirds location held steady – showing that the new restaurants aren’t cannibalizing existing business.
The chain’s success may rest, in part, on its locating its venues in areas rife with enthusiastic foodies. Data from Spatial.ai’s FollowGraph shows that in 2024, Firebird’s trade areas had significantly higher shares of “BBQ Lovers”, “Gourmet Burger Lovers,” and “Foodies” than the nationwide average. This suggests that Firebirds is attracting diners who prioritize the experience of eating – key for a chain that prides itself on putting good food first. The chain is also known for its welcoming decor and design – another aspect that may lead to its strong visit success.
Necessity often serves as the mother of invention, and challenging economic periods continue to spark new trends and innovations in the dining scene. From a heightened focus on value – drawing families and lower-HHI consumers willing to travel for a good deal – to the growing appeal of social dining and the timeless draw of good food – new trends are emerging to meet changing consumer expectations.
Stadiums and arenas – and the communities they call home – have a stake in cultivating engaged team fanbases eager to participate in live events. And venues and teams can employ a variety of strategies to strengthen their connection with fans and draw crowds to the stands.
In this report, we leverage location analytics and audience segmentation to uncover some of the ways that sports franchises and venues are driving engagement – attracting visitors from farther away and appealing to fans more likely to splurge on stadium fare. How does the signing of a star athlete impact arena visitor profiles? What happens to stadium visitation trends when a team’s performance improves dramatically? And how can teams and venues tailor their offerings to more effectively cater to visitor preferences?
We dove into the data to find out.
In sports, the signing of a star athlete can have a ripple effect across the organization, hometown, and league. In addition to driving up overall attendance at games, star power can impact everything from visit frequency to audience profile – and the buying power of stadium attendees.
Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami CF after decades of European play brought a foot traffic boost to Chase Stadium (formerly DRV PNK Stadium). But it also shifted the demographics of stadium visitors and increased the distance they traveled to attend a game.
At Inter Miami’s 2022 and 2023 home openers without Messi (he joined the team mid-season in 2023), only 6.4% and 5.3% of visitors to Chase Stadium came from over 250 miles away. But for the 2024 home opener with Messi on the squad, 31.3% of stadium visitors traveled more than 250 miles to attend.
The demographics of visitors at the home opener also changed with Messi on the team. Trade area data combined with the Spatial.ai: PersonaLive dataset reveals that the 2024 home opener received a smaller share of households in the “Near-Urban Diverse Families” (11.2%) and “Young Urban Singles” (7.2%) segments than the two previous years. Meanwhile, shares of “Sunset Boomers” (13.0%) and “Ultra Wealthy Families” (20.1%) increased, indicating that Messi brought an older and more affluent demographic of visitors to the stadium compared to previous years. Messi’s arrival has generated increased revenue for Inter Miami CF, Major League Soccer, and Apple TV+, which has exclusive streaming rights for MLS games. And an influx of affluent out-of-town visitors also has the potential to drive positive outcomes for tourism and employment in the Miami area.
Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut was another star-powered game changer – this time for women’s basketball. After dazzling the sports world during her college basketball career, Caitlin Clark was drafted first overall to the Indiana Fever before the 2024 WNBA season. The superstar’s arrival has had a staggering economic impact on the city of Indianapolis and the Fever franchise, highlighting the benefit of a top athlete within the local community. However, Clark’s stardom also had a far-reaching impact on the league as a whole, adding tremendous value to the WNBA. Trade area analysis reveals that several WNBA arenas saw an uptick in visitor affluence when hosting the Fever with Clark in the lineup – likely driven in part by the elevated ticket prices associated with her appearances.
When the Minnesota Lynx hosted the Fever on July 14th, 2024, for example, the median HHI of Target Center’s captured market shot up to just over $93K/year, well above the median HHIs for the games immediately before and after that event. (A venue’s captured market refers to the census block groups (CBGs) from which it draws its visitors, weighted to reflect the share of visits from each one – and thus reflects the profile of the venue’s visitor base.) Similarly, the Fever’s away game against the Connecticut Sun on May 14th, 2024 at Mohegan Sun Arena drove a higher audience median HHI ($103.6K/year) than either of the Sun’s next two home games.
Having a superstar on the roster can drive positive outcomes locally and league-wide – but overall team success is the ultimate goal for any franchise. So it may come as no surprise that stadiums and arenas can drive engagement when their home teams perform well on the field or court. And teams that reverse their fortunes often spark even greater excitement, boosting visitor loyalty, visit duration, and other key metrics.
The Baltimore Orioles had one of the worst records in baseball just a few years ago. But since 2022, the team has flipped the script – stringing together winning seasons and postseason berths. And location intelligence shows that as the team finds success, fans are becoming more engaged with their hometown stadium.
During the 2019 regular season, one of the worst for the club in recent history, stadium attendance suffered, with only 8.3% of visitors to Oriole Park at Camden Yards visiting the stadium at least three times. But during the 2024 regular season, Oriole Park’s share of repeat visitors (those who visited at least three times) was almost double 2019 levels (16.3%) – consistent with a sharp increase in sales of multi-game ticket packages.
In addition to attending games more often, visitors to Oriole Park also appear to be spending more time at the ballpark. During the 2019 regular season, visitors spent an average of 150 minutes at the stadium, but in 2024, the average time at the park increased to 178 minutes – potentially boosting ancillary spending and in-stadium advertising exposure. The increased dwell time of visitors is particularly noteworthy when considering that MLB’s rule changes have significantly shortened average game time.
The more engaged fandom engendered by team success not only impacts stadium visitor behavior, but also has the potential to drive revenue. The Orioles added 20 new corporate sponsors before the 2024 season, likely due to the attention garnered by the well-performing club.
The NFL’s Detroit Lions provide another example of team success that has driven visitor engagement. As the franchise has improved its record in recent years, the trade area size of its stadium – Ford Field – has also increased, indicating elevated attendance from fans living further away.
The Lions finished the regular season with losing records from 2019 to 2021, but finished over .500 in 2022 (9-8), 2023 (12-5), and 2024 (15-2). And with the team’s increasing wins each consecutive season, the size of its stadium's trade area has also increased steadily – reaching 81.3% above 2019 levels in 2024.
This underscores just how much team success matters to fans, who may be more inclined to travel longer distances if they believe their team is likely to win. Ultimately, broader fan engagement across a wider trade area also increases a team’s growth potential beyond in-stadium attendance – driving merchandise sales, increasing viewership, and benefitting both the team and the league as a whole.
While stadium attendance and visitor behavior is often correlated to the performance of the sports teams that play in the arena, sporting venues can also drive fan engagement in ways that aren’t solely tied to team success or big-name athletes. By adapting their concessions and venue operations to visitor preferences, stadiums and arenas can better serve their audiences and strengthen their community presence.
Consumers have been feeling the pinch of rising food costs for quite some time, but at least one NBA team has responded to make concessions at the game more affordable for fans. In December 2024, the Phoenix Suns announced a $2 value menu for all home games at Footprint Center – delivering steep discounts on hot dogs, water, soda, and snacks.
Location analytics suggest that since the value menu launch, more fans who would have otherwise waited until after leaving the venue to grab a bite are now enjoying food and drinks inside the arena. Analysis of five Suns home games just before the value menu launch – between November 26th and December 15th, 2024 – reveals that between 7.0% and 9.3% of stadium visitors visited a dining establishment after leaving the arena. But following the value menu launch before the December 19th, 2024 home game, post-game dining decreased to under 6.0% through the end of the year.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s announcement of the new menu called out the need for affordable food options for families at Suns games. As the season progresses, the new menu may drive a larger share of family households to Suns games, which could provide opportunities for advertisers and other stadium partners.
Consumers in Washington – and especially Seattle – are known for their affinity for plant-based diets and environmentally-friendly lifestyles. And that goes for local football fans as well: Audience segmentation provided by the AGS: Behavior & Attitudes dataset combined with trade area data reveals that during September to December 2024, households within Lumen Field’s potential visitor base were 36% more likely to be “Environmentally Conscious Buyers” and “Environmental Contributors” and 39% more likely to be “Vegans” compared to the nationwide average. By contrast, across all NFL stadiums, potential visiting households were 2%, 1%, and 3% less likely, respectively, to belong to these segments.
And Lumen Field has been actively catering to these consumer preferences. The stadium, which has been experimenting with plant-based culinary options for quite some time, was recently recognized as one of the most vegan-friendly stadiums in the NFL. And in December 2024, Lumen became the second stadium in the league to achieve TRUE precertification for its efforts to become a zero-waste venue.
By remaining aligned with its visitor base – including both football fans and people that visit the stadium for other events – Lumen Field encourages visitors to feel at home at their local stadium. And fans may be more connected to their team knowing the club shares their values and respects their lifestyle.
Stadiums and arenas can leverage a variety of strategies to engage visitors in attendance as well as wider audiences. Signing a star athlete, putting together a winning club, or adapting to local preferences are just some of the ways that sports franchises and athletic venues can find success.
