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The home improvement category has faced sustained headwinds in recent years – from elevated mortgage rates to sluggish existing-home sales and a consumer base hesitant to take on major remodeling projects. But after a prolonged stretch of year-over-year (YoY) visit declines, both Home Depot and Lowe’s have returned to growth – and the foot traffic data suggests this shift is more than just a seasonal uptick.
Both home improvement leaders closed Q1 2026 with YoY visit gains – Home Depot up 1.9% and Lowe’s up 2.0% – building on the stabilization seen in Q4 2025. This improvement aligns with their latest financial results: Home Depot reported U.S. comparable sales growth of 0.3%, while Lowe’s posted a stronger 1.3%. And for both chains, the return to positive territory suggests a long-awaited recovery may finally be underway.
Monthly data also suggests that while inclement weather contributed to the segment's strong performance in January, the underlying recovery is genuine. Home improvement benefits from unusual weather events, and January's strong gains for both chains – Home Depot +2.5%, Lowe's +3.9% – were partly fueled by Winter Storm Fern, which impacted communities across more than thirty states. But the momentum carried into February, and while growth moderated in March – and for Home Depot again in April – neither brand slipped into negative territory.
That resilience is an encouraging signal for the category during the critical spring home improvement season, particularly given renewed headwinds like rising gas prices and softening consumer sentiment. Lowe's stronger performance in April 2026, supported by easier comparisons, may also reflect its greater exposure to DIY customers tackling smaller repairs and at-home projects as consumers redirect spending closer to home.
Interest rates remain elevated and the housing market sluggish – but those same forces may now be working in the category's favor, as homeowners staying put begin to tackle a growing backlog of deferred repairs and maintenance. The bigger question is whether that momentum eventually unlocks the large discretionary projects both retailers say consumers are still holding back on – especially amid continued tariff uncertainty and elevated prices at the pump.
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.
There may be more digital entertainment than ever before, but consumers still seek out places to socialize and have fun in the physical world. And in-person entertainment venues – from stadiums to experiential viewing concepts – are attracting unique audiences that span a range of psychographic segments.
A closer look at venues in the Dallas and Los Angeles areas reveals how this diversity plays out across markets, and what it could signal for stakeholders in the business of out-of-home entertainment.
In-person entertainment includes a variety of venues and formats. In the Dallas area, legacy venues AT&T Stadium, American Airlines Center, and Globe Life Field – and eatertainment concepts, movie theaters, and “shared reality” experiences such as Cosm – are just some of the in-person entertainment options.
And in the Dallas region, AI-powered trade area analysis reveals that affluent and suburban families dominate the out-of-home entertainment scene. Across every analyzed venue and entertainment category, either Ultra Wealthy Families or Wealthy Suburban Families ranks as the top audience segment – reflecting the region's family-oriented, suburban fabric.
That said, each venue or category attracts a distinct audience mix. Cosm Dallas and the American Airlines Center over-index on Ultra Wealthy Families and draw a relatively higher share of Young Professionals than other venues. This likely reflects their premium positioning: Cosm as a novelty experience, and the AAC as an upscale urban destination where higher costs may skew attendance toward more affluent consumers.
By contrast, Wealthy Suburban Families lead at Globe Life Field (home to the Texas Rangers) and AT&T Stadium (home to the Dallas Cowboys), both of which also attract meaningful shares of blue-collar suburban audiences.
And there is clear demand for in-person entertainment among Dallas’s up-and-coming and working-class consumers. Blue Collar Suburbs and Young Urban Singles segments tend to favor eatertainment venues and movie theaters – more affordable options for going out.
Greater Los Angeles offers a similarly diverse mix of entertainment anchors: SoFi Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, and Crypto.com Arena – as well as a Cosm location, eatertainment chains, and movie theaters.
However, audience segmentation for in-person entertainment in the region shows a distinct profile compared to Dallas – shaped by SoCal’s urban density and demographic diversity. Near-Urban Diverse Families represent the largest segment across every analyzed venue and entertainment category, while Wealthy Suburban Families also account for a significant share of visitors across formats – particularly at Angel Stadium, likely due to its suburban Orange County location. The prevalence of these two segments suggests that urban, middle-class family audiences are the backbone of entertainment demand in the region while higher-income, suburban households play a strong supporting role in out-of-home entertainment consumption.
Two other patterns also jump out from the data.
First, Cosm Los Angeles and Crypto.com Arena’s audiences draw more heavily from the Educated Urbanites and Ultra Wealthy Families segments, which could point to a somewhat more premium-leaning audience mix at these destinations.
Second, the Young Urban Singles segment accounts for a relatively consistent audience share across all categories – suggesting broad-based entertainment preferences. With no single entertainment format commanding outsized engagement from this young cohort, operators in the Los Angeles market have an opportunity to further tailor experiences and potentially shape future demand among this audience.
In both Dallas and Los Angeles, the composition of out-of-home entertainment audiences reflects each market’s underlying demographics and urban structure.
And yet, certain consumer segments prefer particular entertainment venues or formats over others, and understanding who shows up is critical. Operators and advertisers that tailor their offerings to the dominant segments – whether through pricing or programming – may be better positioned to capture sustained demand and attain better ROI within their market.
For more 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.
The U.S. restaurant industry navigated a challenging first quarter in 2026, marked by macroeconomic headwinds, unfavorable weather, and cautious consumer spending. Yet, within the breakfast-first sector, a clear narrative is emerging: The era of the traditional legacy diner is fading, making way for premium, experience-driven concepts. And at the forefront of this shift is First Watch. Armed with a differentiated culinary menu, rapid but disciplined expansion, and a highly resilient consumer base, the brand is not only defying broader casual dining trends but is fundamentally rewriting the playbook for daytime dining.
Over the past few years, the breakfast-first restaurant category has bifurcated into two distinct camps: premium and experience-driven concepts capturing visit share, and legacy diner-style chains, many of which are struggling to keep up. While Q1 2026 proved to be a tighter traffic environment overall amid macroeconomic uncertainty and unfavorable weather conditions across the U.S., several experience-focused brands and resilient fan-favorites continued growing their footprints – and their audiences.
First Watch led the pack in overall visit growth as it continued expanding its store count, while average visits per location held steady – demonstrating its ability to scale without diluting demand at existing locations – while Snooze saw a 1.1% increase in visits per location.
Conversely, the steepest laggards in the segment were legacy diner chains IHOP, Denny’s, and Huddle House, all of which saw overall visits decline as they continued rightsizing their footprints, with visits per location also modestly down. These brands are increasingly tracking closer to casual dining peers like Applebee’s and Outback Steakhouse, which have faced significant headwinds in recent months.
Still, among legacy diners, Waffle House stood out as a clear outperformer in Q1 2026, likely due in part to its status as a regional institution across much of the South. And the chain’s operational resilience may have also played a role: While Winter Storm Fern pushed the so-called “Waffle House Index” into the red across much of the region in late January, the brand’s unique disaster-readiness appears to have enabled some locations to reopen quickly or avoid closure entirely.
Ultimately, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, brands that leverage a differentiated culinary menu, high-touch customer service, or fierce brand loyalty are successfully navigating the highly fragmented daypart much better than their traditional diner counterparts.
While several premium concepts have successfully carved out a lucrative niche in breakfast-first dining, First Watch has redefined the category. By blending the elevated, chef-driven culinary experience of a localized brunch spot with the operational efficiency of a national powerhouse, First Watch has created a model that sees success across multiple regions of the U.S. This unique positioning provides the brand with a massive structural advantage, fueling a physical growth trajectory that far outpaces its competitors.
Importantly, visitation data also reinforces that First Watch’s restaurant classes from 2024 and 2025 have consistently kept pace with the maturity curve of recent openings. An analysis of visit-per-location trends for First Watch locations opened in 2024 and 2025 versus the chain’s nationwide fleet reveals that the class of 2024 outpaced nationwide trends, while the 2025 cohort – even when factoring in the high volume of openings that took place in Q3 2025 – has also kept pace. These are incredibly positive indicators for a brand rapidly scaling its national footprint.
First Watch has set a long-term goal of reaching more than 2,200 restaurants across the United States – an ambitious target that would more than triple its current size. Reaching this milestone is achievable, but it will require the brand to meaningfully deepen its penetration in large coastal and Sun Belt metros, where it remains under-penetrated relative to its proven suburban strongholds. Placer.ai foot traffic data across more than 100 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) reveals that First Watch's unit economics are remarkably consistent, confirming the model works across multiple geographies. While newer markets like New York, Chicago, Boston, and Las Vegas currently generate lower visits per capita than the chain's core Sun Belt and Midwest suburban markets, there are significant opportunities for expansion. First Watch's breakfast-first model, strong unit-level economics, and growing brand recognition give it a credible platform to aggressively capture market share in these new territories.
Despite slowing early-spring trends, First Watch remains well-positioned to hit its 2026 same-store sales growth target of 1% to 3%. This confidence is rooted in a few key factors. First, the brand benefits from a resilient core consumer who is materially less sensitive to macroeconomic pressures than the traditional diner customer, providing a much higher floor for baseline traffic. Second, First Watch leverages reliable pricing power, as its premium positioning and highly anticipated seasonal menu rotations consistently drive check growth. Finally, the company's commitment to operational excellence through its company-owned model ensures that execution remains strong and the guest experience is uncompromised, even during slower traffic periods. By driving outsized performance from its newest units and maintaining a highly loyal customer base, the brand is not merely surviving the breakfast category's headwinds; it is actively redefining what leadership in daytime dining looks like.
For more data-driven dining 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.
The fast-casual sector has long been defined by its sweet spot within the restaurant industry, combining the convenience of fast food and the quality of casual dining. For years, CAVA and sweetgreen have stood as the standard-bearers of the health-forward movement, expanding their store footprint while building fiercely loyal followings among affluent consumers. However, Q1 2026 foot traffic data suggests that these two brands are now on diverging trajectories. While overall visits to both chains grew – thanks in part to ongoing expansions – CAVA saw its average visits per venue grow as well, while sweetgreen's per-location traffic remained flat YoY.
The contrast between same-store visit trends is even more striking. Over the past six months, same-store visits to CAVA have been uniformly positive – and 2026 traffic was particularly strong. Meanwhile, sweetgreen has seen consistently negative same-store visit declines, with March 2026 same-store visits down 7.6% compared to CAVA's 6.8% increase. This represents a meaningful spread between two brands competing for the same premium consumer.
This divergence is the result of structural differences in menu mix and value perception. Over the past six months, CAVA has rolled out strategic menu enhancements designed to reengage with middle-income consumers who may have turned away from fast-casual options in recent months and elevate its overall value perception.
Leaning heavily into its warm, protein-forward architecture, the brand has introduced additions like premium glazed salmon as a protein option alongside new variations of its highly successful spicy chicken and steak offering. Alongside these protein upgrades, CAVA has refreshed its seasonal roasted vegetable lineups and also introduced smaller items like harissa pita chips, sides, and dips. This ensures that the menu remains dynamic enough to drive incremental visits and avoid customer fatigue while maintaining the highly customizable, assembly-line efficiency that protects its strong unit economics. The diversity of CAVA’s menu – both in terms of innovation and pricing – have helped to drive down the chain’s captured trade area median household income the past four quarters, according to data from STI: Popstats combined with Placer data.
To close this widening gap, Sweetgreen has also planned several menu changes in 2026 focused on operational simplicity, value perception, and a major new category expansion. The brand kicked off the year by highlighting its health-forward roots through a limited-time menu collaboration with Dr. Mark Hyman that utilized existing ingredients, followed by the launch of the seasonal Winter Harvest Bowl and the highly requested return of shredded cheese to the core menu. However, the most significant news is Sweetgreen's planned mid-2026 rollout of wraps.
Currently undergoing rigorous stage-gate testing in Los Angeles, the Midwest, and Manhattan, the wrap platform – featuring accessible price points starting at $10.95 and capping below $15 for in-store pickup – is designed to aggressively target consumer value sensitivity. Management noted that wraps are intended to build upon their 2025 efforts (which included increased protein portions and $12 Daily Greens) to prove to budget-conscious, quality-driven diners that Sweetgreen can deliver a compelling, high-value meal without compromising its premium brand identity.
Ultimately, the Q1 2026 data serves as a critical inflection point. CAVA is actively gaining share in a contracting category by mastering geographic diversification, daypart breadth, and perceived value. Sweetgreen has the brand identity, the affluent customer base, and the regional runway to recover, but the strategic decisions made over the next 12 to 18 months will dictate whether this current slump is a temporary setback or a permanent competitive reality.
For more data-driven dining insight, 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.
Events are foundational to New Orleans’ identity and economic model. From the Sugar Bowl to Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras, to conferences, conventions, exhibitions and meetings of all sizes, the city operates on a year-round cycle of large-scale gatherings that drive consistent visitor inflows. Over the past 12 months, 64.6% of weekend visitors to New Orleans’ downtown, including the French Quarter, Central Business District (CBD), and Arts District, were domestic tourists coming from more than 250 miles away. And as travel behavior continues to evolve post-COVID – making it more difficult to predict attendance patterns from prior-year trends – the complexity of hosting at scale requires increasingly sophisticated, data-driven operational coordination.
Perhaps no event demonstrates this model – and this need – more clearly than Mardi Gras. Running from January 6th through Mardi Gras Day, the carnival season culminates in a surge of parades and celebrations that bring major crowds downtown (French Quarter, CBD, Arts District) and all along the uptown parade route.
Crucially, many of those visitors come from within Louisiana, making the festival a powerful vehicle for strengthening ties between the city and surrounding communities: During the final 12 days of Mardi Gras 2026, 54.2% of them came from within Louisiana, compared to 23.5% during the rest of the year.
And despite an uncertain macroeconomic environment, Mardi Gras’ audience continues to expand. From the Krewe of Cleopatra on February 6 through Mardi Gras Day on February 17, out-of-market visits to downtown New Orleans (French Quarter, CBD, Arts District) increased 10% year over year, reaching their highest level since 2020.
Data also shows that Mardi Gras draws a surprisingly diverse audience. To be sure, young revelers are a big part of the story – on Mardi Gras Day, the French Quarter sees an influx of “Contemporary Households”, a young-skewing segment that includes singles, couples without children, and non-family households. The median household income of the Quarter’s trade area also declines on the big day, as students and early-career professionals crowd into the neighborhood to party.
But some of the season's more family-friendly parades – like the Krewe of Bacchus which took place this year on Sunday, February 15th – have a decidedly different vibe.
On the day of the parade, families gather early along St. Charles Avenue, setting up tents and picnic tables and sharing traditional local food ahead of the evening procession. And surrounding neighborhoods such as the Garden District experience a measurable rise in affluent family segments and median household income, highlighting Mardi Gras’ broad and diverse appeal.
Of course, managing an event of this magnitude requires coordination across agencies, stakeholders, and neighborhoods. And in a post-pandemic environment where past attendance patterns cannot always serve as reliable benchmarks, data has become a critical tool for decision-making.
Audience insights now play a central role in operational planning – identifying where visitors congregate, estimating crowd volumes, and informing preparation by law enforcement, city officials, and other city stakeholders. When large gatherings are anticipated in specific corridors or blocks, recent visitation trends provide actionable context that helps partners allocate resources efficiently and prepare accordingly.
Few cities are as synonymous with celebration as New Orleans. And by combining tradition, diversity, and data-driven operational precision, the city has built the capacity to host complex, high-volume gatherings with consistency and coordination year after year.
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With roughly one in eight Americans now using GLP-1 medications for weight loss, their rapid adoption is shaping up to be one of the most consequential behavioral shifts in recent memory – with wide-ranging implications for businesses tied to how people spend their time and money.
We analyzed the data to understand how GLP-1 usage may be influencing real-world retail and dining foot traffic. How is grocery store visitation changing? What’s happening in limited-service dining? And which other categories are gaining from a heightened focus on health and wellness – further accelerating trends that began to take hold after the pandemic?
Research from Cornell University shows that GLP-1 users reduce household grocery spending by an average of 5.3% within six months of starting a medication, with the most significant pullbacks concentrated in calorie-dense, processed categories. At the same time, a handful of health-oriented foods – including yogurt, fresh fruit, nutrition bars, and meat snacks – are seeing increased spend.
And foot traffic data points to a parallel shift in where consumers are shopping, with a growing share of grocery visits flowing toward fresh-format stores like Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Market that emphasize high-quality perishables, curated health-oriented assortments, and an elevated in-store experience. While this pivot has been underway for several years, reflecting a broader post-pandemic focus on health and wellness, its recent acceleration coincides with the rise in GLP-1 use.
From Q1 2022 to Q1 2026, these chains steadily expanded their share of overall grocery foot traffic, with momentum accelerating beginning in Q1 2024, even as some experienced per-store softness amid a challenging consumer environment. Over the same period, the median household income within fresh-format chains’ captured markets, which had remained largely stable through early 2024, began to decline. This trend suggests a broadening customer base, as households across income brackets increasingly prioritize higher-quality food and allocate a larger share of their grocery trips to fresh formats.
The reallocation of spending also extends beyond the grocery aisle. Foot traffic data points to a meaningful reordering of food-away-from-home visits over the past three years, with healthier dining segments outperforming more indulgent ones – underscoring a broader shift toward more nutritious options that GLP-1 adoption may be helping to reinforce.
Frozen yogurt chains outpaced ice cream shops in year-over-year visit growth in both 2024 and 2025, as consumers gravitated toward lighter frozen treats. Smoothie and juice chains also captured growing demand, buoyed by expanding footprints from brands like Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Smoothie King, and Playa Bowls, while fast-casual similarly pulled ahead of QSR.
Fitness participation has been on the rise since the pandemic, and the data suggests gym habits are becoming more consistent over time – a trend that GLP-1 users, who often incorporate structured exercise into their routines, may be helping to reinforce.
Between Q1 2023 and Q1 2026, the share of visitors to leading gyms stopping by at least three times in an average month rose from 44.8% to 46.8%, while the share visiting at least four times rose from 37.3% to 39.1%. For a growing segment of the population, going to the gym has become a regular part of the weekly routine – with implications for fitness brands and the broader ecosystem of health-oriented businesses competing for this newly routine-driven consumer.
As consumers deepen their focus on health and fitness, the body transformations associated with GLP-1 use are also reshaping apparel demand. Alongside a growing need for wardrobe replenishment, GLP-1 users are investing more in their appearance and rediscovering the experience of shopping for clothes.
And this trend aligns with recent foot traffic data. Even as discretionary spending continues to face headwinds in a challenging macroeconomic environment, clothing retailers are seeing consistent year-over-year visit growth, driven in large part by the off-price sector – with each year outpacing the broader discretionary retail category by a widening margin. Apparel is pulling away from the pack, likely driven in part by a consumer whose relationship with their body – and with shopping – has fundamentally changed.
The GLP-1 era is still in its early stages – but as programs like Amazon’s new GLP-1 management program expand access, these drugs are likely to continue reshaping shopping behavior in the months and years ahead. The data points to a consumer who is eating differently, moving more, and spending in ways that reflect a new set of priorities, further amplifying the focus on health and wellness that has emerged over the past several years.
For more data-driven retail and dining insights, visit Placer.ai/anchor.
1. Experiential and niche retailers can deliver anchor-level traffic. At Towne East Square Mall, the addition of a Scheels in 2023 significantly increased foot traffic and long-distance travelers, while Barnes & Noble at Coronado Center in Albuquerque has become a key driver of both foot traffic and higher-spend demographics.
2. Size isn’t everything – especially for dining venues. At Glendale Galleria and Northridge Fashion Center, smaller restaurants attracted more foot traffic than some traditional anchors.
3. Refocusing on tenants’ actual traffic contributions enables a flexible anchor approach. Balancing weekend draws like Scheels with weekday favorites such as Costco or Chick-fil-A can help maintain steady visitor flow throughout the week. Similarly, onsite fitness clubs can shift traffic to earlier in the day – an opportunity to adjust store hours and capture additional morning shoppers.
4. Temporary pop-ups can form an integral part of a visit-focused anchor strategy. The Barbie Dreamhouse Living Truck Tour generates mall visit spikes well above typical Saturday levels. Operators can integrate these events into their overall anchor strategies, offering preferential terms to high-performing pop-ups.
5. New tenants can boost traffic for existing stores in similar categories. After Aldi joined Green Acres Commons in February 2020, visits to an existing BJ’s Wholesale Club trended upwards. This synergy highlights how overlapping audiences can become a strength, creating a larger overall customer base.
Malls, it seems, are cool once again. After languishing in the wake of the pandemic, shopping centers across the country are thriving – reinventing themselves as prime “third places” where people can hang out, shop, and grab a bite to eat.
One key driver behind this resurgence is a shift in how malls view their anchor tenants. While traditional mainstays like Macy’s and JCPenney still play an important role, specialized offerings – from popular eateries to fitness centers and immersive retailtainment destinations – are increasingly taking center stage. These attractions maximize the experiential value that brick-and-mortar venues can deliver, driving visits and sales for the center as a whole.
Against this backdrop, this report leverages the latest location intelligence data to explore the types of tenants that can function as mall anchors in 2025. Should mall operators still focus on general merchandisers to draw crowds, or can dining chains and more niche retailers also do the job? How important is square footage in identifying the anchor-like tenants in a shopping center? And how can a visit-focused approach help mall operators select effective anchor or anchor-like tenants – whether to fill big-box spaces or to leverage the leasing perks traditionally reserved for major large-format chains?
One of the most important functions of a mall anchor is to ensure steady visitation – providing its smaller tenants with a constant flow of potential customers. And as the role of the mall continues to evolve, analyzing the actual foot traffic impacts of different types of businesses can help identify the kinds of non-traditional anchors best suited to fulfill that purpose.
Experiential venues, for example, are particularly well-poised to serve as powerful anchors in today’s retail environment – as illustrated by the visit surge experienced by Towne East Square Mall in Wichita, KS following the addition of a Scheels in July 2023.
By blending traditional retail with immersive experiences, Scheels has emerged as a true experiential destination. And this pull has also helped the mall draw more long-distance visitors willing to travel to enjoy Scheels’ offerings. In 2024, 41.9% of the mall’s customers traveled more than 50 miles to visit, compared to 35.8% back in 2018 when Sears occupied the same lot.
Traditionally, anchors aimed to please the widest possible audiences – with department stores, big-box chains, and grocery stores leading the way. But visitation data shows that niche concepts can also deliver anchor-level traffic if they’re compelling enough to attract dedicated fans.
The experience of the Barnes & Noble at Coronado Center in Albuquerque, NM is a case in point. After being written off as all but obsolete, Barnes & Noble has staged an impressive comeback in recent years, finding success through a more curated, localized approach to book selling. And despite not being a formal anchor, the Coronado Center Barnes & Noble accounted for 7.9% of visits to the mall in 2024 – outperforming both Macy’s and JCPenney.
Year-over-year data also shows foot traffic surging at the Coronado Center Barnes & Noble, lifting overall visitation to the mall. And demographic data reveals that the bookstore draws a more affluent audience than either the center as a whole or the two department stores – attracting a crowd with more spending power.
This example also illustrates how smaller tenants can sometimes draw larger crowds. Even though Barnes & Noble occupies a smaller onsite space than either Macy’s or JCPenney, it is proving a powerful visit driver out of proportion to its physical size.
Dining chains are also adept at punching above their square footage – often attracting crowds disproportionate to their size.
Despite its relatively small footprint, for example, the In-N-Out Burger at Glendale Galleria drew an impressive 8.6% of visits to the mall complex in 2024, outpacing some of the mall’s official anchors like DICK’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, and JCPenney. Still, the onsite Target drew even larger crowds at 14.4% of visits.
A similar pattern emerged at Northridge Fashion Center, where Porto’s Bakery and Cafe captured a notable 15.6% of visits to the complex in 2024 – more than some of the center’s traditional department stores.
These examples underscore the potential for dining chains, which typically require less space, to serve as micro-anchors by consistently attracting outsized crowds – a key consideration for mall operators looking to sustain visitor traffic.
Refocusing on tenants’ actual foot traffic contributions also opens the door to a more flexible and dynamic approach to anchor selection and management – one that considers each venue’s unique visitation patterns.
Seasonal factors, for example, can make certain anchors more powerful at specific times of the year, while different venues shine on particular days of the week.
At Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa, for instance, Scheels and Costco each delivered just under 20.0% of the complex’s overall visits in 2024. But the two retailers’ daily patterns differed significantly: Scheels saw bigger crowds on weekends, while Costco was the primary weekday destination.
Understanding differences like these can help operators optimize their tenant mix to maintain a balanced flow of shoppers throughout the week.
Another example of the impact of differing weekday traffic patterns is offered by the impact of mall-based Chick-fil-A locations on the distribution of mall visits throughout the week.
Despite its relatively small size, Chick-fil-A draws substantial traffic to malls. And after adding Chick-fil-A locations, both Northridge and Miller Hill Malls saw meaningful drops in the share of visits to the centers taking place on Sundays – even as the wider indoor mall segment saw slight upticks.
Recognizing this trend could prompt mall operators to compensate by adding more weekend-friendly traffic drivers – or to lean into this distinction by taking additional steps to bolster the mall’s role as a go-to weekday destination.
The power of different mall traffic magnets also varies throughout the day. Increasingly, shopping centers are turning to fitness centers as experiential anchors. And since many people work out early in the morning, these gyms are having a significant impact on the distribution of mall visits across dayparts.
The addition of gyms to Northshore Mall in Peabody, MA and Jackson Crossing in Jackson, MI, for instance, led to a significant rise in visits between 7:00 AM and noon. And though the rest of the stores in these malls typically open at 10:00 or 11:00 AM, this shift presents the centers with a significant opportunity.
By adjusting opening hours to accommodate these early-morning patrons, malls can capitalize on this added traffic, driving up visits and sales for relevant tenants – especially health-focused retailers such as juice bars and sporting goods stores.
Adopting a broader, visit-focused view of anchoring also allows mall operators to apply some of the strategies typically reserved for anchors to non-conventional traffic-generating businesses, to ensure a consistent flow of traffic year-round.
Pop-up stores and events, for example, generally don’t follow the same seasonal trends as other retailers – instead, they generate short-term visit boosts during their runs, whenever in the year that may be. And a visit-focused anchor strategy can leverage some of the perks traditionally reserved for anchor tenants – such as preferential leasing terms – to complement traditional full-time anchors during slower retail periods.
The Barbie Dreamhouse Living Truck Tour is a prime example of a traffic-driving pop-up. By bringing exclusive merchandise to malls across the U.S., the truck generates plenty of buzz, drawing crowds eager to snatch up limited-edition items and immerse themselves in all things Barbie. As a result, malls hosting the tour often see significant visit spikes, with foot traffic surging well above typical Saturday levels. Well-timed pop-ups like these can help balance out traffic throughout the year, offsetting traditional slow periods.
A visit-focused approach to anchor management can also help mall operators assess the potential impact of new tenants on existing stores operating in similar categories. For example, mall owners often worry that new tenants operating in similar categories might cannibalize existing businesses. But a visit-focused anchor approach reveals that a well-chosen addition can sometimes benefit current tenants – especially if they cater to similar audiences.
In February 2020, for instance, value supermarket Aldi opened at Green Acres Commons in Valley Stream, NY – a center that already hosted budget-friendly BJ’s Wholesale Club. While BJ’s visits were relatively flat in 2018 and 2019, they began to rise after Aldi’s opening (and following a pandemic-induced dip). Cross-shopping data also shows that Aldi customers were more likely to visit BJ’s than the average Green Acres patron last year.
This synergy may be due in part to the two retailers’ similar visitor bases: In 2024, the Aldi and BJ’s stores in Green Acres Common drew shoppers with comparable economic profiles. This suggests that overlapping audiences can become a strength if aligned brands attract new shoppers, who then explore multiple stores in the same center.
Looking ahead, effective mall anchors will be defined less by physical footprint and more by their capacity to maintain consistent, valuable foot traffic. While traditional department stores remain pivotal, smaller or niche brands can often rival – or surpass – large-format retailers. And by thinking out of the anchor box and choosing tenants that cultivate a balanced visitor flow and align with local preferences, operators can position their centers as true go-to destinations.
1. Shoppers are taking more, shorter trips to grocery stores. Over the past 12 months, grocery stores have experienced nearly uniform YoY visit growth. And since COVID, the segment has steadily increased both overall visits and average visits per location – even as average dwell times have consistently declined.
2. Grocery stores are holding ground against fierce competition. Despite growing inroads by discount and dollar stores, wholesale clubs, and general mass retailers like Walmart and Target, grocery stores have maintained their share of the overall food-at-home visit pie over the past several years.
3. Grocery visit share is most pronounced on the coasts. In Q1 2025, grocery stores claimed the majority of food-at-home visits on the West Coast, in parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mountain Regions, and in Florida and Michigan.
4. Fresh-format, value, and ethnic grocery visit shares are growing at the expense of traditional chains. And in Q1 2025, fresh-format and value grocers outperformed the other sub-segments with positive YoY visit and average visit-per-location growth.
5. Hispanic markets are on the rise. Though the broader ethnic grocery sub-segment was essentially flat YoY in Q1 2025, Hispanic-focused stores recorded increases in both visits and visits per location – and have been steadily growing visits since 2021.
6. Smaller formats for the win. In Q1 2025, smaller-format grocery store locations outpaced mid-sized and larger-format ones, underscoring the power of compact spaces to deliver significant foot traffic gains.
Brick-and-mortar grocery stores face an uncertain market in 2025. Rising food-at-home prices (eggs, anyone?), declining consumer confidence, and increased competition from discounters, superstores, and online shopping channels all present the segment with significant headwinds. Yet even in the face of these challenges, the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience – growing its foot traffic and holding onto visit share.
What strategies have helped the segment navigate today’s tough market? And how can industry stakeholders make the most of the opportunities in the current market? This report draws on the latest location intelligence to uncover the trends shaping grocery retail in early 2025 – highlighting insights to help key players make informed, data-driven decisions on store formats, product offerings, and more.
The grocery segment has experienced nearly uniform positive year-over-year (YoY) growth over the last 12 months. This sustained performance in the face of inflation and other headwinds highlights the underlying strength of the category.
What is driving this growth? Since 2022, the grocery segment has seen consistent overall visit growth that has outpaced increases in visits per location – a sign that chain expansion has played a key role in the category’s success. But the average number of visits to each grocery store has also been on the rise, indicating that the segment continues to expand without cannibalizing existing store traffic.
At the same time, visitor dwell times have been steadily dropping since 2021. This shift appears to reflect a trend towards multiple, shorter trips by inflation-wary consumers eager to avoid large, costly carts or cherry pick deals across various retailers. Many shoppers may also be placing more bulk orders online and supplementing those deliveries with brief in-store stops for additional items as needed.
The bottom line: Shoppers are taking more grocery trips overall each year, but spending less time in-store during each visit. Operators can respond to this trend by optimizing layouts and promoting “grab-and-go” areas for an even more efficient quick-trip experience.
Visit share data also shows that despite fierce competition from discount and dollar stores, wholesalers, and general mass retailers, the grocery segment has steadfastly preserved its share of the overall food-at-home visit pie.
Between Q1 2019 and Q1 2025, wholesale clubs and discount and dollar stores increased their share of total food-at-home visits, gains that have come primarily at the expense of Walmart and Target. Meanwhile, grocery outlets have held firm – despite some fluctuations over the years, their Q1 2019 visit share remained essentially unchanged in Q1 2025.
So even as consumers flock to alternative food purveyors in search of lower prices, grocery stores aren’t losing ground – and on a nationwide level, they remain the biggest player by far in the food-at-home shopping space.
Still, grocery store visit share varies significantly by region. On the West Coast, in parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mountain regions, and in Florida and Michigan, grocery stores accounted for the majority of food-at-home visits in Q1 2025. Oregon (61.6%) and Washington (59.6%) led the pack, followed by Massachusetts (59.2%), Vermont (58.5%), and California (57.9%). Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Arkansas, South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Mississippi, less than 30% of food-at-home traffic went to grocery stores, with more shoppers in these regions turning to general mass retailers or discounters.
Grocery store operators in lower-grocery-share regions may choose to focus on price competitiveness and convenient store locations to capture more foot traffic from competitors in the space.
Which types of grocery stores are thriving the most? The grocery segment is diverse, encompassing traditional grocery chains like Kroger, Safeway, and H-E-B; budget-oriented value chains such as Aldi, WinCo Foods, Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, and Market Basket; fresh-format specialty brands like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Sprouts Farmers Market; and numerous ethnic grocers.
Examining shifts in visit share among these various grocery store segments shows that traditional grocery still dominates, commanding over 70.0% of total grocery store foot traffic.
Still, over the past several years, traditional grocers have gradually ceded ground to other segments – especially value chains. Budget grocers saw a temporary surge in visits during the panic-buying days of early 2020 – and have been more gradually gaining visit share since Q1 2023. . Fresh-format banners, which lost ground in 2021 after a Q1 2020 bump, in the wake of COVID, have also been on the upswing and appear poised to capture additional visit share in the coming months and years. And though ethnic grocers still account for a relatively small portion of the overall market, they have slightly increased their visit share, reflecting heightened consumer interest in these specialized offerings.
Recent performance metrics point to a bifurcation in the grocery market similar to that observed in other retail categories. In Q1 2025, fresh-format and value retailers – which appeal, respectively, to the most and least affluent visitor bases – saw the greatest growth in both overall visits and average visits per location.
This trend highlights the power of both value and health-focused quality to motivate consumers in 2025. And grocery players that can meet these needs will be well-positioned for success in the months ahead.
One factor fueling fresh-format’s success may be its role as a convenient, relatively affordable midday lunch destination for the remote work crowd.
In Q1 2025, consumers working from home accounted for 20.2% of fresh-format grocery stores’ captured market – a significantly higher share than any other analyzed grocery segment. These stores also tended to be busier midday than the other segments. Remote workers may be stopping by to grab a quick bite – and some may be choosing to do their grocery shopping during their lunch break when stores are less crowded.
This finding suggests an opportunity for grocery operators across all segments to develop or enhance in-store salad bars and quick-serve sections to tap into the lunch rush. Likewise, CPG companies may benefit from developing more ready-made, nutritious meal options that align with these midday dining habits.
Though the broader ethnic grocery category remained essentially flat in Q1 2025, Hispanic-focused grocers emerged as a sub-segment to watch. Both overall visits and average visits per location to these stores have been on the rise since 2021.
This robust demand presents an opportunity for CPG brands and grocers across segments to expand Hispanic-focused offerings, capturing a slice of this growing market.
Finally, store size matters more than ever in 2025. During the first quarter of the year, smaller format grocery store locations (locations under 30K square feet, across different chains) outpaced larger stores with a 3.2% YoY jump in visits, showing that bigger isn’t always better in the grocery store space.
This pattern aligns with the decrease in dwell times noted above – shoppers may be making shorter trips to smaller, more convenient grocery store locations. These quick errands are ideal for picking up a few items to supplement online orders, shopping multiple deals, or sourcing specialty products unavailable at larger grocery destinations. And to lean into this trend, grocery operators might consider testing neighborhood “micro-store” concepts, focusing on curated selections, and offering convenient parking or pickup to match consumer preferences for targeted purchases and quicker trips.
Location intelligence reveals a growing, dynamic grocery landscape which is holding its ground in the face of increased competition. Shorter trips, busier lifestyles, and changing work routines are reshaping in-store experiences. And grocery players that refine their store formats, target both lunch and on-the-go shoppers, and adapt to shifting demographics can position themselves to thrive in this competitive sector. As the market continues to evolve, continuous attention to these changing patterns will be key to maintaining and expanding market share.
1. Elevated visitor frequency could mean that gym-goers are getting more value out of their memberships and are therefore more likely to stay signed up. Between January and March 2025, all of the gym chains analyzed had a higher share of frequent visitors (those who visited about once a week) than in the equivalent month of 2024.
2. Fitness chains at all price tiers need to be strategic about the value they offer and the amenities that can engage budget-conscious consumers. Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2025, the captured trade area median HHI increased for all fitness subsegments – value-priced, mid-range, and high-end – suggesting that consumers swapped pricier gym memberships for more affordable options.
3. Close attention should be paid to how long visitors spend at fitness chains in order to reduce crowding and bottlenecks. Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2025, the average visit length increased at value-priced, mid-range, and high-end gyms. Floorplan and equipment improvements could be considered, as well as having trainers available to help gym-goers streamline workouts.
4. Gyms can use hourly visit data to better serve their members or use promotions to stabilize facility usage throughout the day. In Q1 2025, high-end chains received a larger share of morning visits while value-priced and mid-range fitness chains received larger shares of evening visits.
Like many industries in recent years, the fitness sector has experienced significant shifts in consumer behavior. From the rise in home workouts during the pandemic to the strain of hyper-inflation, foot traffic trends to gyms and health clubs have been as dynamic as the consumers they serve.
This report leverages location analytics to explore the consumer trends driving visitation in the fitness space and provides actionable insights for industry stakeholders.
The pandemic drove several shifts in the fitness space. Widespread gym closures led consumers to embrace home-based workouts, while demand for all things fitness increased due to an emphasis on overall health and wellness. This subsequently drove a renewed interest in gym-based workouts as restrictions lifted – even as some consumers remained committed to their home workout routines.
In Q1 2023, visits to fitness chains surpassed Q1 2019 levels for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, a sign that consumers had recommitted to out-of-home fitness. And in Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, fitness chains saw further growth, climbing to 12.8% and 15.5% above the Q1 2019 baseline, respectively.
Several factors have likely driven consumers’ return to gyms and health clubs, including the desire for both social connection and professional-grade facilities difficult to replicate at home. The steep increase in cost of living has likely also played a role, since consumers cutting back on discretionary spending can enjoy multiple outings and a range of recreational activities at the gym for one monthly fee.
Zooming in on weekly visits to the fitness space in Q1 2025 reveals the industry’s exceptional strength and resilience in the early part of the year.
The fitness industry experienced YoY visit growth nearly every week of Q1 2025 (and 2.4% YoY visit growth overall) with only minor visit gaps the weeks of January 20th, 2025 and February 17th, 2025 – likely due to extreme weather that prevented many Americans from hitting the gym.
And the fitness industry’s weekly visit growth appeared to strengthen throughout the quarter, defying the typical waning of New Year's resolutions. This could indicate that gym visits haven't plateaued and that consumers are demonstrating greater commitment to their fitness routines compared to last year.
Diving into visitation patterns for leading fitness chains highlights how increased visitor frequency drove foot traffic growth in Q1 2025.
Fitness chains tend to receive the most visits during the first months of the year as consumers recommit to health and wellness in their post-holidays New Year’s resolutions. And not only do more people hit the gym – analyzing the data reveals that gym-goers also typically work out more frequently during this period. Zooming in on 2025 so far suggests that consumers are especially committed to their fitness routines this year: Leading gyms saw an increase in the proportion of frequent visitors (4+ times a month) in Q1 2025 compared to the already significant percentage of frequent visitors in the first quarter of 2024.
Elevated visitor frequency could mean that gym-goers are getting more value out of their memberships than last year, and are therefore more likely to stay signed up throughout the year.
At the same time, the data also reveals that – contrary to what may be expected – a fitness chain’s share of frequent visitors appears to be independent of the cost of membership associated with the club: Life Time, a high-end club, and EōS Fitness, a value-priced gym, had the highest shares of frequent visitors between January 2024 and March 2025. This suggests that factors other than cost, such as location convenience, class offerings, community, or individual motivation, might be more influential in driving frequent gym attendance.
Segmenting the fitness industry by membership price tiers – value-priced, mid-range, and high-end – can reveal further insights on current consumer behavior around out-of-home fitness.
In Q1 2025, the captured market* median household income (HHI) was higher than the nationwide median HHI ($79.6K/year) across all price tiers – suggesting that even value-priced fitness chains are attracting a relatively affluent audience. This could indicate that gym memberships are somewhat of a luxury and that consumers from lower-income households gave up their gym memberships altogether as they tightened their purse strings.
Analyzing the historical data since Q1 2022 also reveals that the captured market median HHI has risen consistently over the past couple of years with the largest median HHI increase observed in the captured trade areas of high-end fitness chains. This suggests that middle-income households – that are more sensitive to the rising cost of living – likely swapped pricier gym memberships for more affordable options in recent years.
These metrics indicate that fitness chains at all price tiers need to think strategically about the value they offer and the amenities that can engage budget-conscious consumers who are carefully weighing every expenditure.
*Captured trade area is obtained by weighting the census block groups (CBGs) from which the chain draws its visitors according to their share of visits to the chain and thus reflects the population that visits the chain in practice.
Fitness clubs of all types need to manage their capacity to ensure health and safety standards and a positive experience for members. And understanding the average amount of time visitors spend at the gym can help fitness chains at every price point keep their finger on the pulse of their facilities.
Between Q1 2022 and Q1 2025, the average visit length increased at value-priced, mid-range, and high-end gyms. Value-priced gyms experienced the largest increase in average visit length – from 72.4 minutes in Q1 2022 to 74.0 minutes in Q1 2025 – perhaps due to their relatively lower-income visitors spending more time enjoying club amenities after cutting back on other forms of recreation. Meanwhile, mid-range and high-end gyms experienced relatively modest increases in average visit length, which were higher to begin with – likely due to their ample class and spa offerings and overall inviting, upscale spaces.
Elevated average visit length could mean that visitors are well-engaged and less likely to cancel their memberships. But as overall gym visits are on the rise, fitness chains may want to pay close attention to how long visitors spend at the facility. Floorplan and equipment improvements could be considered in order to reduce bottlenecks, and having trainers available to instruct on equipment usage and workout technique could help gym-goers streamline workouts.
Along with average visit length, understanding the daypart in which they receive the most visits is another way that fitness chains can improve efficiency and prevent overcrowding. And analysis of the hourly visits to fitness sub-segments revealed that some fitness segments receive more morning visits while others are more popular in the evenings.
In Q1 2025, high-end chains received a larger share of visits between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. (19.7%) than value-priced and mid-range fitness chains (11.6% and 11.8%, respectively). Meanwhile, value-priced and mid-range fitness chains received larger shares of visits between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. (21.9% and 22.2%) than high-end chains (16.5%).
Gyms can leverage this data to better serve members, for instance by scheduling more classes during peak hours. Value-priced and mid-range gyms, which saw a larger disparity between shares of morning and evening visits in Q1 2025, might also consider incentivizing off-peak usage through discounted morning memberships or early-bird snack bar deals.
The fitness space appears to be in good shape in 2025. Visits have made a full recovery from the pandemic era and still continue to grow, indicating strong consumer demand for out-of-home workouts. And using location intelligence to analyze the behavior and demographics of visitors to gyms at different price points can help identify opportunities for driving even greater success.
