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Homewares and home decor chains have seen their share of ups and downs over the past few years, from pandemic highs to a discretionary retail slowdown – but some chains, especially high-end ones, are thriving. We took a look at visit data to four retailers – Restoration Hardware (RH), Le Creuset, and Sur La Table – to see what the visit data and demographics reveal about the segment.
Homewares are having a cultural moment – a shift that first gained momentum during the pandemic, when people stuck at home began investing deeply in their living spaces. Since then, social media’s influence has helped lifestyle-forward brands like RH and Le Creuset gain cultural cachet – and visits to these retailers have significantly outpaced the broader home improvement sector, as shown in the chart below.
This resilience – especially amid a broader retail slowdown – underscores how home decor and kitchenware are evolving into status and lifestyle symbols, with culinary aesthetics even finding expression in decor trends.
Although RH, Sur La Table, and Le Creuset all compete in the premium home goods segment, their different brand identities attract distinct audiences and lead to very different in-store behaviors.
RH and Sur La Table attract some of the most affluent, luxury-oriented shoppers in retail and consistently post long dwell times. Both brands use their store fleets not just as showrooms, but as platforms for high-margin services and experiences that extend engagement and drive revenue between product cycles.
Many flagship RH stores include a fine-dining restaurant, and the chain ties complimentary design consultations to a paid annual membership – both of which may resonate with younger “Educated Urbanites” who value elevated dining experiences and expert guidance as they furnish their first homes. Sur La Table, by contrast, generates fee-based revenue from cooking classes and curated international culinary trips, offerings that appeal most to “Booming with Confidence” households – prosperous, established couples eager to invest in premium food and travel experiences. By tailoring experiential services to the distinct aspirations of their core audiences, RH and Sur La Table demonstrate how luxury retailers can extend brand relevance, and sustain growth beyond traditional product sales.
Le Creuset, by contrast, follows a more sales-driven model. With a lower share of high-income households, the brand reaches aspirational, luxury-adjacent shoppers who may have less discretionary income for premium experiences. Store activations such as Factory-to-Table events are designed primarily to drive transactions rather than prolong visits. Le Creuset also over-indexes among “Singles and Starters” – younger, upwardly mobile shoppers who frequently discover the brand on social media. This group tends to conduct heavy online research before visiting, leading to shorter, purpose-driven trips where shoppers arrive ready to buy.
Together, the patterns suggest two distinct playbooks: RH and Sur La Table use experience to lengthen visits and monetize engagement between product cycles, while Le Creuset relies on highly considered, research-led purchases that translate into shorter, purpose-driven store trips.
The success of RH, Sur La Table, and Le Creuset highlights that there is no single formula for winning in luxury retail. Some brands lean on immersive experiences that extend and monetize engagement. Others focus on sales-driven activations that convert researched shoppers. What unites them is a sharp alignment between strategy and the values and behaviors of their core audiences – a positioning that enables them to thrive even amid broader retail headwinds.
For more retail data, visit our free tools.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
The recent revival of McDonald’s Extra Value Meal has fueled speculation that the quick-service restaurant (QSR) space might be gearing up for another round of value wars. Yet the data suggests that basic value offerings may no longer be enough to reliably drive traffic. To overcome consumer fatigue and heightened price sensitivity, brands must deliver promotions that truly stand out – whether through unusually deep discounts, memorable giveaways, or culturally resonant collaborations.
McDonald’s recent foot traffic trends illustrate this dynamic. Despite the chain’s Extra Value Meals relaunch, visits to McDonald’s dropped 4.4% year over year (YoY) during the week of September 8th and fell a further 5.2% and 3.7% over the next two weeks. These results pale in comparison to the brand’s April 2025 Minecraft Movie Meal collaboration, which generated consistent traffic boosts throughout its run.
The muted YoY impact of the new value meal doesn’t necessarily signal failure – after all, McDonald’s is lapping last year’s $5 Summer of Value campaign, which extended through 2024. But it highlights the limits of standard deals in a marketplace where consumers expect baseline value from QSR leaders. In an environment crowded with offerings – from Taco Bell’s Luxe Boxes, to Wendy’s Biggie Bags and Burger King’s 2 for $5 promotions – incremental savings feel less like innovation and more like table stakes.
Still, truly eye-catching promotions continue to break through – and McDonald’s 50-cent Double Cheeseburger deal on National Cheeseburger Day (September 18th, 2025) is a case in point. On the day of the promotion, visits jumped 6.4% compared to the chain’s recent Thursday average – showing that consumers remain highly responsive to promotions that feel unique and unmissable.
Pizza Hut’s summer promotions tell a similar story. The chain’s $2-Buck Tuesday deal, which offered a one-topping Personal Pan Pizza for just $2, drove a remarkable 63.2% YoY surge in Tuesday visits during its run (July 8th through August 26th, 2025). And although foot traffic continued to decline on other days of the week, the promotion’s Tuesday lift was enough to push overall weekly visits into positive territory for much of its duration.
Yet when Pizza Hut followed up with a more conventional $5 Crafted Flatzz menu in late August – available all week long until 5:00 PM – the response was far less dramatic. Though traffic held steady YoY during the first weeks of the launch, and the brand’s YoY visit gap has remained somewhat narrower since, consumers clearly differentiated between a “can’t-miss” deal and a “reasonable” discount.
Dairy Queen provides further illustration of both the power and the limits of value promotions in 2025. The chain’s annual Free Cone Day, held at the start of spring, generated an astonishing 326.7% spike in visits on Thursday, March 20th compared to the prior same-day average. The deal even outperformed 2024’s Free Cone Day, boosting weekly traffic 23.8% YoY despite lapping last year’s March 19th event. And an 85-cent Blizzard deal the following week extended the surge, lifting visits 31.2% YoY.
But when Dairy Queen relaunched the same 85-cent Blizzard offer in September (September 8th to 21st, 2025), results were far more muted. Seasonality likely played a role – ice cream naturally peaks in spring and summer, and wanes in colder weather. But repetition also dulls impact, and without the momentum of a free giveaway just days before, the fall promotion may have felt more routine.
The mixed results of McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Dairy Queen’s 2025 promotions show that standard value menus are no longer enough to stand out in today’s price-sensitive QSR market. The most effective deals offer consumers something they can’t get anywhere else – whether freebies, unusually deep discounts, or resonant pop-culture tie-ins. For QSRs, the challenge is to capture attention and disrupt routines without eroding margins through unsustainable discounting.
For more QSR insights, explore Placer.ai’s free industry trends tool.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
Even as overall retail and dining visits show signs of slowing amid economic uncertainty, dollar stores continue to thrive. In July and August 2025, overall foot traffic to Dollar General and Dollar Tree rose 2.7% and 3.9% year over year (YoY), with average visits per location up 1.8% and 5.7%, respectively.
This momentum has not necessarily come at the expense of other discount giants like Walmart and Target. But what does the dollar-store surge mean for the grocery sector? We dove into the data to find out, focusing on category leader Dollar General. Is the retailer siphoning visits away from supermarkets, or is it serving as a complementary stop alongside other formats?
Over the past several years, Dollar General has steadily deepened its grocery presence. Fresh produce rollouts, expanded frozen assortments, and a focus on “everyday essentials” have helped shift its positioning from an occasional convenience stop to a more frequent shopping destination.
Foot traffic trends align with this shift. From Q2 2019 to Q2 2025, Dollar General’s share of grocery visits – across both traditional and value chains – rose consistently, while traditional chains like Kroger and Albertsons lost nearly four percentage points. Value grocers, meanwhile, (i.e. Aldi) remained stable through 2022 before gaining ground themselves, suggesting that Dollar General has primarily pulled shoppers away from traditional supermarkets even as other budget-oriented grocers strengthened.
Cross-visitation data also supports this pattern. Kroger visitors are increasingly supplementing their shopping routines with Dollar General, while Dollar General customers are gradually reducing their reliance on Kroger. This points to Dollar General’s growth coming, at least in part, at the expense of traditional grocers.
So far, this shift has yet to make a major dent in grocery performance. Even as the share of Dollar General shoppers visiting Kroger has declined, Kroger’s overall traffic has remained relatively steady – up 1.3% between Q2 2019 and Q2 2022, and down just 1.2% between Q2 2022 and Q2 2025. This indicates that Kroger has so far managed to offset losses to Dollar General by drawing in new visits, potentially including shoppers trading down from restaurants to prepared foods in the grocery aisle. Looking ahead, grocers may continue to hold their ground by adapting to consumers' changing food routines, even as dollar stores expand their role in food retail.
Meanwhile, Dollar General’s relationship with Aldi has evolved differently. From 2019 to 2022, overlap between the two chains held flat or dipped slightly. But from 2022 to 2025, cross-visitation rose in both directions: More Dollar General shoppers visited Aldi, and vice versa. The pattern suggests the two are increasingly functioning as complementary stops for value-driven households – similar to how Dollar General coexists with Walmart, Target, and Costco. Aldi's positioning as a complement rather than a direct competitor is likely also one of the tailwinds behind the grocer's sustained nationwide growth.
And these patterns extend nationwide. Dollar General’s footprint remains strongest in the South, where it accounted for one in five visits to grocery stores in Q2 2025. But the chain’s fastest grocery visit growth is occurring elsewhere. Between 2019 and 2025, its grocery visit share climbed by over four points in the Midwest and more than three points in the Northeast. And despite Dollar General’s relatively limited presence in the West, it nearly doubled its grocery visit share over the same period.
Location analytics further reveal that Dollar General’s growth has been fueled largely by its dominance in short visits – ”in-and-out” trips lasting less than ten minutes for essentials like milk, bread, eggs, or snacks. Dollar General now accounts for 28.0% of all under-ten minute visits to Dollar General, traditional grocery stores, and value grocery stores. This is a sharp increase from the 24.1% relative short visit share going to Dollar General in Q2 2019.
Dollar General's share of extended visits (over 10 minutes) also grew between Q2 2019 and Q2 2025, but these still account for just 10.2% of combined Dollar General and grocery visits. Together, these trends underscore how Dollar General has solidified its role as a quick-stop destination, carving out a niche that complements rather than fully replaces the traditional grocery trip.
As Dollar General continues expanding its footprint and grocery offerings, its impact on how – and where – Americans shop for food is poised to keep growing. By capturing short-visit traffic and offering a broader grocery selection, the chain is reshaping the competitive landscape and prompting both traditional and value grocers to adapt.
For the most up-to-date dollar store visit data, check out Placer.ai's free tools.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
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Book retailer Barnes & Noble has been making strategic moves to strengthen its position in the marketplace. The chain, which prioritizes building a local, independent bookstore feel while leveraging its size and purchasing power, has been steadily acquiring beloved independent bookstore chains. It first acquired Colorado chain Tattered Cover in 2023, and just announced the acquisition of Books Inc. in the Bay Area.
We took a closer look at recent visit trends and compared Barnes & Noble’s customer behavior with Books Inc. to understand how this acquisition may help B&N extend its experiential, community-driven model – while giving Books Inc. the scale and pull of a national brand.
Some of the most successful brick-and-mortar retailers today are tapping into consumer desire for experiential retail and community – and Barnes & Noble is no exception. The chain has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, guided by new leadership and a deliberate shift toward bookstores that feel independent while being part of a national brand.
This approach seems to be resonating with shoppers: Throughout 2025, visits to B&N have risen consistently on a YoY basis. And average visits per location have increased most months as well, showing that even as the bookseller grows its fleet, existing stores are thriving. Building on that momentum, B&N is pushing ahead with expansion – beyond its recent acquisitions, the chain plans to open 60 new stores in 2025.
Barnes & Noble has achieved what many booksellers struggle to do: establish itself as an experiential destination for book lovers. Store managers have the freedom to curate selections tailored to their local communities, giving each location its own personality while maintaining the reach and resources of a large retailer. And while the company has acquired smaller, struggling brands, it has done so in a way that preserves their identity while giving them the purchasing power and financial cushion of a major national retailer. The latest example is Bay Area independent bookstore chain Books Inc., which will keep its name even as it operates under new management.
Location analytics reveal meaningful differences in customer behavior at the two chains. At a Barnes & Noble in Redwood City, CA, 65.1% of visitors stayed more than 15 minutes, compared to 57.2% at a Books Inc. just 5.5 miles away. Longer visits reflect the success of Barnes & Noble’s experiential approach – stores designed not just for quick purchases, but for browsing, discovery, and lingering.
The data also highlight a seasonal divergence. Barnes & Noble sees dramatic surges around key shopping moments – in December 2024, visits to the Redwood City B&N surged 47.5% above average, while Books Inc.’s increase was a more modest 16.4%. While Books Inc. has remained a steady draw throughout the year, Barnes & Noble has carved out a distinct role as a holiday destination, competing not only with other bookstores but also with broader categories like gifting and entertainment – a crucial differentiator in a retail sector where fourth-quarter performance can define a year.
Taken together, these patterns suggest that under B&N’s leadership, Books Inc. could deepen its appeal as both a community hub and a shopping destination. If management successfully blends Books Inc.’s historic local ties with B&N’s proven ability to capture extended visits and seasonal demand, the chain may see more sustained engagement and stronger sales peaks.
Barnes & Noble’s acquisition of Books Inc. has the potential to strengthen both brands. For B&N, it reinforces a community-first strategy that independent bookstores have long excelled at – and that continues to resonate with readers. For Books Inc., it brings the pull and financial stability of a national chain.
To explore more chains leading the visit growth pack, check out our free tools.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
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Department stores have faced significant challenges in recent years, with inflationary pressures and the rise of off-price competitors weighing on performance. Yet Dillard’s has managed to buck the trend. We dove into the data to explore some of the factors helping Dillard’s stay ahead of its peers.
Better-than-expected recent earnings beats notwithstanding, department stores have faced considerable headwinds in recent years, with store closures and an overall category contraction leading to visit slowdowns. But Dillard’s has remained ahead of the curve – a resilience reflected not only in steady shopper traffic but also in a stock price that has surged as the chain continues to outperform peers.
While overall department store visits fell year-over-year (YoY) through much of 2025, Dillard’s posted positive traffic growth in several key months – most notably May, July, and August – and consistently outpaced a wider segment that saw continued declines.
Location analytics reveal three factors behind Dillard’s recent success: a consistent emphasis on fundamentals that have turned its stores into weekend retail destinations, a Sunbelt-focused footprint, and a thriving clearance network.
First, the fundamentals: Dillard’s has consistently excelled at the basics – maintaining clean, well-staffed stores, prioritizing essentials over fads, and offering an in-store experience defined by helpful sales associates. The fruits from this investment can be seen from its position as a bona fide destination. Between January and August 2025, 42.9% of Dillard’s visits took place over the weekend (Saturdays and Sundays), compared to 40.0% for other department stores. And almost half of Dillard’s weekend visitors traveled more than ten miles to shop (see chart below), versus just 36.5% for other department stores.
The pronounced weekend shift indicates that Dillard’s has become a destination retailer that shoppers go out of their way to visit – a powerful marker of brand strength in a challenging environment.
Dillard's concentration in growing Sunbelt markets like Texas and Florida may also mean that Dillard's is operating in markets relatively favorable to its offerings. The chain has no footprint in the Northeast, where the department store segment has seen the largest YoY declines. Instead, most of its stores are in the South and West where wider department store traffic trends have been generally more favorable.
Last but not least, Dillard’s successful clearance centers have also bolstered the retailer. Out of its 272 stores, 28 operate as clearance centers, and these locations are thriving.
While overall year-to-date visits to Dillard’s remained essentially flat YoY between January and August 2025 – aligning with recent earnings reports – visits to clearance stores rose 7.5% YoY. These outlets are driving meaningful incremental traffic at a time when value-conscious shopping is reshaping consumer behavior.
By combining regional strength, thriving clearance centers, and destination appeal, Dillard’s has carved out a rare advantage in a challenged sector. And with its recent acquisition of Longview Mall in Texas, the chain is showing that it’s not just surviving today’s headwinds – it’s betting on the future of department store retail.
For more data-driven department store insights explore Placer.ai’s free tools.
Placer.ai leverages a panel of tens of millions of devices and utilizes machine learning to make estimations for visits to locations across the US. The data is trusted by thousands of industry leaders who leverage Placer.ai for insights into foot traffic, demographic breakdowns, retail sale predictions, migration trends, site selection, and more.
At a time when much of the retail industry looks and feels the same, many retailers are working to cement their brand identity and individuality with consumers, which can help set them apart from their competitors. Finding a competitive advantage can be hard to come by in 2025, as consumers hunt for value wherever they can find it and loyalty to any individual chain is low. This challenge is especially true in the apparel category, where assortments across retail banners have become more similar over time and retailers rely on the same trend forecasting, leading to a lack of newness in the market for shoppers.
One option to freshen up merchandising and offer something unique to potential visitors is through category expansion. Creating more opportunities for consumers to engage with different types of products in a single location could improve visit frequency and overall customer satisfaction, and allow the brand's ethos to expand beyond its traditional borders. Gap Inc. recently announced a new initiative in line with this theory; Both Gap & Old Navy will launch beauty lines in 2026 and 2025 respectively. Old Navy is also slated to launch a true collection of handbags.
Accessories and beauty are natural product expansion categories for retailers that specialize in fashion; for other apparel brands such as J.Crew, Madewell and French label Sézane, accessories have helped to bolster their business and deepen their relationships with shoppers. Luxury apparel and accessory brands have long intertwined their labels with beauty as well, which has helped to spark the prestige beauty industry. In examining the potential opportunity for both retailers and the expanded categories through the lens of retail visits, it’s clear that the mainstream apparel brands can benefit from creating more opportunities for consumers to engage with different products.
Gap Inc.’s planned launch of beauty lines at both Old Navy and Gap tap into the excitement generated by the beauty industry since the pandemic. Recently, the beauty space has faced more headwinds, with increased market saturation and changing consumer behavior softening demand for the category.
But beauty still has a lot of potential momentum ahead, with consumers' continued focus on health, wellness and appearance as well as the rising demand for more affordable indulgences and luxuries in the face of a challenging consumer environment. And while traffic to beauty and self care retail has remained relatively flat in 2025 so far compared to 2024, the industry is still lapping exceptionally strong gains from the past few years.
Gap Inc. has a strong opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the beauty category. A significant share of Gap and Old Navy shoppers also frequent Ulta, with Old Navy showing the higher overlap (42.2% of Old Navy visitors also visited Ulta between January and August 2025, compared to 38.1% of Gap visitors) – likely one reason the beauty line will debut there first. The audience crossover between Gap Inc.'s leading banners and Ulta highlights clear demand for beauty among Gap Inc.'s customer base and opens the door for the company's apparel brands to capture a portion of that spend over time.
Importantly, both Ulta and Sephora have leaned into expanding their private-label offerings, reflecting consumers’ growing comfort with trying beauty products outside of traditional beauty brands. That shift suggests shoppers may also be willing to embrace beauty lines from retailers like Gap and Old Navy, giving Gap Inc. a more favorable entry point into the category.
Gap Inc.’s most recent release about the project mentioned adding beauty consultants to the Old Navy stores during this fall’s rollout of the category. Dedicated product knowledge and expertise is incredibly important in the beauty space, and visitors tend to stay longer to browse and learn. If Old Navy could capture even a few extra minutes of shoppers’ attention, conversion and dwell times could rise during the remainder of 2025.
Similar to the brands’ expansion into beauty, a new push into the accessories category might just be what Gap Inc. needs to further cement itself as a steward of American fashion. Accessories, including handbags, have had a challenging few years in the post-pandemic period. The category has become more fragmented, and consumers have shown an inclination for fewer logos and branded products. And, the Gap brand has already tested the strategy earlier this year with its collaboration with travel brand Beis.
Old Navy is the first brand to release a robust handbag offering, under the creative direction of Zac Posen – and there is evidence to suggest that handbags might be a great new expansion for the brand. Looking at Old Navy and Gap's visitor habits shows that there are high levels of cross-visitation with off-price retailers, including T.J.Maxx, Marshall’s and Ross Dress For Less.
The off-price channel has had the benefit of being able to curate an assortment of designer and branded handbags at value-driven price points, which has made it more difficult for other retailers to compete. Old Navy focusing on creating products that are value-driven but also fashion forward might prove them to be a worthy adversary in the value apparel space.
But the data also highlights that Gap may hold an even stronger opportunity in accessories.. The chain hasn’t launched its renewed accessories program, but the company recently announced hires hailing from leading accessories giants that certainly can help the brand shape its handbag identity. For consumers who are focused on trend-right styles at a more accessible price point, Gap may be able to find its footing, especially against the backdrop of economic headwinds for many American consumers.
Shoppers may also be looking for alternatives to luxury accessory brands over the next few years – especially those consumers who are considered more aspirational, or only purchase luxury goods occasionally due to their levels of discretionary spending. Foot traffic to luxury apparel and accessories brands shows a slowdown in luxury apparel's offline growth throughout 2025, and insights show that the visits are becoming more consolidated around wealthier shoppers.
Gap Inc.’s expansion into beauty and accessories can help the company drive differentiation in a retail environment where sameness dominates. By entering categories that naturally complement fashion, Gap Inc. has an opportunity to extend its brand identity beyond apparel, deepen customer engagement, and capture wallet share from both loyal shoppers and those trading down from luxury.
Success will hinge on execution: delivering value-driven yet fashion-forward products, ensuring knowledgeable in-store experiences, and crafting compelling brand storytelling. If Gap Inc. can leverage these new categories effectively, its beauty and accessories strategy could not only boost near-term traffic and sales but also lay the foundation for sustainable long-term growth in a highly competitive market.
Shifts away from designer handbags, both in the luxury and mid-tier segments, may create the perfect opportunity for Gap to stake its claim. The industry is still lacking affordable, fashion driven accessories that can appeal to a wide array of consumers. If the merchandising and brand storytelling can create a compelling reason to buy for shoppers, the brand might be able to extend the reinvention that has been working for the retailer throughout 2025.
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.
Many retail and dining chains performed well in 2024 despite the ongoing economic uncertainty. But with the consumer headwinds continuing into 2025, which brands can continue pulling ahead of the pack?
This report highlights 10 brands (in no particular order) that exhibit significant potential to grow in 2025 – as well as three chains that have faced some challenges in 2024 but appear poised to make a comeback in the year ahead. Which chains made the cut? Dive into the report to find out.
Through 2024, visits to Sprouts Farmers Market locations increased an average of 7.2% year-over-year (YoY) each month, outpacing the wider grocery segment standard by an average of six percentage points. And not only were visits up – monthly visits per location also grew YoY.
The promising coupling of overall and visits per location growth seems driven by the brands’ powerful understanding of who they are and what they bring to the market. The focus on high quality, fresh products is resonating, and the utilization of small- format locations is empowering the chain to bring locations to the doorstep of their ideal audiences.
This combination of forces positions the brand to better identify and reach key markets efficiently, offering an ideal path to continued growth. The result is a recipe for ongoing grocery success.
CAVA has emerged as a standout success story in the restaurant industry over the past several years. Traditionally, Mediterranean concepts have not commanded the same level of demand as burger, sandwich, Mexican, or Asian fast-casual concepts, which is why the category lacked a true national player until CAVA's rise. However, evolving consumer tastes have created a fertile landscape for Mediterranean cuisine to thrive, driven by factors such as social media influence, expanded food options via third-party delivery, growing demand for healthier choices, the rise of food-focused television programming, and the globalization of restaurant concepts .
CAVA’s success can be attributed to several key factors. Roughly 80% of CAVA locations were in suburban areas before the pandemic, aligning well with consumer migration and work-from-home trends. Additionally, CAVA was an early adopter of digital drive-thru lanes, similar to Chipotle’s "Chipotlanes," and began developing these store formats well before the pandemic. The brand has also utilized innovative tools like motion sensors in its restaurants to optimize throughput and staffing during peak lunchtime hours, enabling it to refine restaurant design and equipment placement as it expanded. CAVA’s higher employee retention rates have also contributed to its ability to maintain speed-of-service levels above category averages.
These strengths allowed CAVA to successfully enter new markets like Chicago in 2024. While many emerging brands have struggled to gain traction in new areas, CAVA’s visit-per-location metrics in recently entered markets have matched its national averages, positioning the brand for continued growth in 2025.
Ashley’s recent strategy shift to differentiate itself through experiential events, such as live music, workshops, and giveaways, is a compelling approach in the challenging consumer discretionary category. Post-pandemic, commercial property owners have successfully used community events to boost visit frequency, dwell time, and trade area size for mall properties. It’s no surprise that retailers like Ashley are adopting similar strategies to engage customers and enhance their in-store experience.
The decision to incorporate live events into its marketing strategy reflects the growing demand for experiential and immersive retail experiences. While home furnishings saw a surge in demand during the pandemic, the category has struggled over the past two years, underperforming other discretionary retail sectors compared to pre-pandemic levels. Recognizing this challenge, Ashley’s rebrand focuses on creating interactive and memorable experiences that allow customers to engage directly with its products and explore various design possibilities. In turn, this has helped to drive visits from trade areas with younger consumers with lower household incomes.
Ashley has leaned into collaborations with interior designers and industry experts to offer informative sessions and workshops during these events. These initiatives not only attract traffic but also provide valuable insights into customers’ preferences, which can be used to refine product offerings, enhance customer service, and shape future marketing efforts. This approach is particularly relevant as millennials and Gen Z drive new household formation. While still early, Ashley’s pivot to live events is showing promising results in attracting visits and increasing customer engagement.
Department stores have had many challenges in navigating changing consumer behavior and finding their place in an evolving retail landscape. Nordstrom, an example of department store success in 2024, has been able to maintain a strong brand relationship with its shoppers and regain its footing with its store fleet. While the chain has certainly benefited from catering to a more affluent, and less price sensitive, consumer base, it still shines in fostering a shopping experience that stands out.
Value might be a driver of retail visitation across the industry, but for Nordstrom, service and experience is paramount. The retailer has downplayed promotional activity in favor of driving loyalty among key visitors. Nordstrom also has captured higher shares of high-value, younger consumer segments, which defies commonly held thoughts about department stores. The chain was a top visited chain during Black Friday in 2024, showcasing that it’s top of mind for shoppers for both gift giving and self-gifting.
What’s next? Nordstrom announced at the end of December that it plans to go private with the help of Mexican retail chain Liverpool. We expect to see even more innovation in store experience, assortments and services with this newfound flexibility and investment. And, we cannot forget about Nordstrom Rack, which allows the retailer to still engage price-conscious shoppers of all income levels, which is certainly still a bright spot as we head into 2025.
Visits are up, and the audience visiting Sam’s Club locations seems to be getting younger which – when taken together – tells us a few critical things. First, Sam’s Club has parlayed its pandemic resurgence into something longer term, leveraging the value and experience it provides to create loyal customers. Second, the power of its offering is attracting a newer audience that had previously been less apt to take advantage of the unique Sam’s Club benefits.
The result is a retailer that is proving particularly adept at understanding the value of a visit. The membership club model incentives loyalty which means that once a visitor takes the plunge, the likelihood of more visits is heightened significantly. And the orientation to value, a longer visit duration, and a wide array of items on sale leads to a larger than normal basket size.
In a retail segment where the value of loyalty and owning ‘share of shopping list’ is at a premium, Sam’s Club is positioned for the type of success that builds a foundation for strength for years to come.
Raising Cane’s exemplifies the power of focus by excelling at a simple menu done exceptionally well. Over the past several years, the chain has been one of the fastest-growing in the QSR segment, driven by a streamlined menu that enhances speed and efficiency, innovative marketing campaigns, and strategic site selection in both new and existing markets. Notably, Raising Cane’s ranked among the top QSR chains for visit-per-location growth last year. Unlike many competitors that leaned on deep discounts or nostalgic product launches to boost traffic in 2024, Raising Cane’s relied on operational excellence to build brand awareness and drive visits. This approach has translated into some of the highest average unit sales in the segment, with restaurants averaging around $6 million in sales last year.
Raising Cane’s operational efficiency has also been a key driver of its rapid expansion, growing from 460 locations at the end of 2019 to more than 830 heading into 2025. This includes over 100 new store openings in 2024 alone, placing it among the top QSR chains for year-over-year visit growth. The chain’s ability to maintain exceptional performance while scaling rapidly highlights its strong foundation and operational strategy.
While Life Time has fitness at its core, it has also expanded to become a lifestyle. Healthy living is its mantra and this extends to both the gym aspect, but also the social health of its members with offerings like yoga, childcare, personalized fitness programs, coworking, and even an option for luxury living just steps away.
With all these choices, it’s no wonder that its members are more loyal than others in its peer group.
To the delight of book lovers everywhere, Barnes & Noble is back in force. With a presence in every single state and approximately 600 stores, location options are growing to browse bestsellers, chat with in-store bibliophiles, or grab a latte. Stores are feeling cozier and more local, with handwritten recommendations across the store. The chain’s extensive selection of gifts and toys mean that one can stop in for more than just books. The membership program is also relaunching, rewarding members for their purchases. Even though some locations have downsized, efficiency is up with average visits per square foot increasing over the last 3 years. Customers are also lingering, with nearly 3 in 10 visitors staying 45 minutes or longer.
With options for a “third place” that’s not home or work dwindling, Barnes & Noble is poised to fill that hole.
From its origins as a corner grocery store in Queens, NY 42 years ago, H Mart now boasts over 80 stores throughout the US. Shoppers are enticed by the aroma of hot roasted sweet potatoes wafting through the store, the opportunities to try new brands like Little Jasmine fruit teas, and the array of prepared foods such as gimbap and japchae. In addition to traditional Korean, Chinese, and Japanese groceries, H Mart’s assortment has expanded to staple items and American brands as well like Chobani yogurt or Doritos.
As the Hallyu wave sweeps across the nation and K-pop stars like Rose top the charts for the eight straight week with the catchy “APT”, so too is the appetite for Asian food. At the second-most visited H Mart in the nation in Carrollton, TX, the ethnic makeup of customers is 39% White, 14% Black, 23% Hispanic or Latino, and 20% Asian – reflecting the truly universal appeal of this supermarket chain.
Beauty retail had a transformative 2024, with a general cooling off in demand for the category. Competition between chains has increased and delivering quality products, expertise and services is critical to maintain visits. Against this backdrop, Bluemercury stands out as a shining star in parent company Macy’s portfolio of brands, with the brand well positioned to take on this next chapter of beauty retail.
Bluemercury’s success lies in its ability to be a retailer, an expert, and a spa service provider to its consumers. Placer data has shown that beauty chains with a service and retail component tend to attract more visitors than those who just specialize in retail offerings, and Bluemercury is no exception. The chain also focuses solely on the prestige market within the beauty industry and caters to higher income households compared to the broader beauty category; both of those factors have contributed to more elastic demand than with other retailers.
Bluemercury’s bet on product expertise and knowledge combined with a smaller format store help to foster a strong connection between the beauty retailer and its consumers. The brand overindexes with visitors “seeking youthful appearance” and has cemented itself as a destination for niche and emerging beauty brands. As the larger Macy’s brand grapples with its transformation, Bluemercury’s relevance and deep connection to its consumer base can serve as an inspiration, especially as the beauty industry faces mounting uncertainty.
Competitors like Dutch Bros and 7Brew are on the rise, critical office visitation patterns remain far behind pre-pandemic levels, and the chain did not end the year in the most amazing way in terms of visit performance. But there is still so much to love about Starbucks – and the addition of new CEO Brian Niccol positions the coffee giant to rebound powerfully.
The focused attention on leaning into its legendary ‘third place’ concept is in excellent alignment with the shift to the suburbs and hybrid work and with audiences that continue to show they value experience over convenience. But the convenience-oriented customer will likely also benefit from the brand’s recent initiatives, including pushes to improve staffing, mobile ordering alignment and menu simplification. In addition, the brand is still the gold standard when it comes to owning the calendar, as seen with their annual visit surges for the release of the Pumpkin Spice Latte or Red Cup Day and their ability to capitalize on wider retail holidays like Black Friday and Super Saturday.
The combination of the tremendous reach, brand equity, remaining opportunities in growing markets and the combined ability to address both convenience and experience oriented customers speaks to a unique capacity to regain lost ground and drive a significant resurgence against the expectations of many.
Retail has had its challenges this year, with many consumers opting for off-price to snag deals – but the strength of the Adidas brand should not be underestimated. Gazelles and Sambas are still highly coveted, and a partnership with Messi x Bad Bunny racked up over a million likes. Consumers are favoring classic silhouettes across both shoes and clothing, and nothing says classic like those three stripes.
Gap, and its family of brands including Old Navy and Banana Republic, are synonymous with American apparel retail. The namesake brand has always been at the center of comfort, value and style, but over time lost its way with consumers. However, over the past year and a half, the reinvigoration of the Gap family of brands has started to take shape under the direction of CEO Richard Dickson.
New designs, collaborations, splashy marketing campaigns and store layouts have taken shape across the portfolio. While we haven’t seen a lot of change in visitation to stores over the past year, trends are certainly moving in the right direction and outpacing many other brands in the apparel space. Gap has also reinserted itself into the fabric of American fashion this past year with designs for the Met Gala.
The benefit of Gap Inc.’s portfolio is that each brand has a distinct and unique audience of consumers that it draws from. This allows each brand to focus on meeting the needs of its visitors directly instead of trying to be all things for a broader group of consumers. Old Navy in particular has a strong opportunity with consumers as value continues to be a key motivator.
Gap has done all of the right things to not only catch up to consumers’ expectations but to rise beyond them. Even as legacy store-based retail brands have seen more disruption over the past few years, Gap is ready to step back into the spotlight.
The diversity of brands featured in this report highlight the variety of categories and strategic initiatives that can drive retail and dining success in 2025.
Sprouts’ focus on quality products and small-format stores, CAVA’s rise as a suburban dining powerhouse, and Nordstrom’s commitment to customer experience all highlight how understanding and responding to consumer needs can drive success. Brands like Ashley Furniture, Sam’s Club, H Mart, and Life Time have shown how offering a unique value proposition within a crowded segment, leveraging loyalty, and creating memorable experiences can fuel growth. And Raising Cane’s demonstrates the power of simplicity and operational efficiency in building momentum.
At the same time, niche players like Bluemercury are excelling by catering to specific audiences with authenticity and expertise. And while Starbucks, Adidas, and Gap Inc. face challenges, the three companies’ brand equity and revitalization efforts suggest potential for a significant comeback.
The holiday shopping season traditionally stretches from Black Friday to New Years Eve: Shoppers looking to snag deals, purchase gifts, or enhance their celebrations drive visit spikes at retailers across the country. And although many consumers expressed concern over high prices impacting their holiday budget, spending in 2024 actually increased compared to 2023, with brick-and-mortar stores playing a key role in last year’s holiday season.
So where were the largest holiday spikes? How did last year’s calendar configuration impact retail traffic? Which segment came out ahead – and how did dining fit into the mix? Most importantly – what can we learn from the 2024 holiday season to prepare for 2025?
The holiday shopping season is the busiest time of the year for many retail categories. Between Black Friday and December 31st 2024, daily visits to brick-and-mortar stores increased 12.7%, on average, compared to the rest of the year.
Department stores led the pack, with visits to the segment 102.1% higher than the pre-holiday season average – likely aided by strong Black Friday performances. Other favorite gifting categories, including beauty & self care (72.7%), hobbies, gifts & crafts (60.9%), recreational & sporting goods (55.5%), clothing (41.8%), and electronics stores (32.7%) also received significant traffic boosts. Shopping centers benefited as well with a 24.8% increase in daily visits over the holiday season. Retailers in these segments can capitalize on their holiday popularity and stand out amidst the crowd by promoting their brand early and ensuring their staffing and inventory can accommodate the season’s traffic increases.
The holidays are also a time for entertainment – and purchasing gifts for hosts – which likely helped drive the 48.4% and 41.7% traffic increases at liquor stores and at furniture & home furnishings retailers, respectively. Superstores and discount & dollar stores – with their selection of affordable giftable products and entertainment essentials – also saw holiday-driven visit bumps of 21.2% and 20.2%, respectively. Retailers may choose to highlight seasonal items and hosting-friendly products to increase these traffic bumps in 2025.
Pet stores & services received a smaller (10.0%) bump than the wider retail average – indicating that, although some shoppers buy gifts for their fur babies, pets may not be at the top of most Americans’ gift lists. And visits to the home improvement segment were essentially on par with the pre-holiday period – indicating that the holidays are not the time for extensive home renovation projects. But home improvement chains looking to get in on the holiday action might consider promoting decorations and smaller giftable items in December.
And despite the grocery frenzy of Turkey Wednesday and Christmas Eve Eve, the Grocery segment received a relatively minor holiday boost of 5.0% – perhaps due to holiday travelers skipping their weekly grocery haul. Grocers who lean into prepared foods or pre-packaged meal kits might get an additional bump.
Although the holidays drive retail visit surges across the country, some regions see a bigger traffic bump than others.
In December 2024, almost all 50 states (with the exception of Wyoming ) received a holiday-driven retail traffic boost ranging from a 3.3% (Montana) to a 16.8% (New Hampshire). On a regional basis, the South received the largest increase: The West South Central, East South Central, and South Atlantic divisions received a collective 12.2% increase in daily visits between Black Friday and New Years Eve compared to the pre-Black Friday daily average. (Washington, D.C. saw a slight visit decline of 0.4%, likely due to the many residents leaving the capital for the holiday break.) Retailers in this region may choose to increase staffing and inventory ahead of the 2025 holiday season to handle the increased demand.
Meanwhile, the Midwest region had the smallest holiday-driven traffic spike (9.2%) – despite starting the season ahead of the pack, with the highest Black Friday weekend visit boost. This suggests that Midwestern retailers may have more success with early promotions than with last-minute discounts.
While the holiday season drove an overall retail visit boost nationwide, diving deeper into the data reveals that different retail segments peak at different points of the holiday season.
Most categories – especially the ones that tend to offer steep post-Thanksgiving discounts, such as recreational & sporting goods, department stores, electronics stores, and beauty retailers – received the biggest visit spikes on Black Friday. Retailers in these categories may benefit from promotional campaigns ahead of Thanksgiving to cater to early shoppers and maximize their performance on their busiest day.
Other segments that carry more affordable gifts, stocking stuffers, and food items gained momentum as Christmas approached – with superstores visits spiking on December 23rd and discount & dollar stores peaking on December 24th. These retailers may get even larger end-of-year visit bumps by offering discounts and bundles to last-minute shoppers.
The grocery segment received its largest boost ahead of Thanksgiving, with visits also surging on the days before Christmas as home cooks picked up supplies for the holiday dinner. Grocers who can save their shoppers time during this busy period by offering curbside pickup, pre-prepped ingredients or meal kits, and other conveniences may see particularly strong performances in 2025.
Calendar shifts also play an important role in shaping holiday shopping patterns. Last year, Super Saturday and “Christmas Eve Eve” – each a significant milestone in its own right – coincided on December 23rd, 2023 to create a supercharged shopping event that generated massive visit spikes at retailers across categories.
But in 2024, when the milestones occurred separately, important differences emerged between retailers. Gift-shopping destinations like Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Best Buy saw bigger visit spikes on Super Saturday, while retailers like Target, Walmart, and Costco – carrying both gifts and food items – saw visits surge higher on December 23rd. Dollar Tree, a prime destination for affordable stocking stuffers, also experienced a more pronounced visit spike on Super Saturday.
Predictably, this year’s pre-Christmas milestones generally drove smaller individual visit spikes, as shoppers spread their errands across a longer period. But the stand-alone Super Saturday on December 21st 2024 also allowed consumers to prioritize gift-shopping on Saturday and shop for groceries and last minute stocking stuffers on December 23rd – benefiting certain retailers.
Nordstrom, for instance, saw visits soar to 215.9% above the chain’s 2024 daily average on December 21, 2024 – surpassing the 196.2% increase recorded on December 23, 2023. Macy’s also experienced a slightly higher Super Saturday visit boost this year. Next year, retailers can expect another spread-out pre-Christmas shopping period, with Super Saturday falling on December 20th, 2025 – five days before the holiday. Gift-focused retailers can leverage this timing by ramping up promotions in the run-up to Super Saturday – or by enhancing offerings on December 23rd to capture more late-season shoppers.
Big box retailers like Target, Walmart, and Costco, conversely, can double down on December 23rd or amplify earlier deals to capture a larger share of Super Saturday traffic. And retailers across categories can benefit from the more extended last-minute shopping period by implementing multi-day sales and promotions that encourage repeat visits and drive traffic throughout the week.
Turkey Wednesday – the day before Thanksgiving – is traditionally the grocery sector’s time to shine. And this year didn’t disappoint: On November 27th, 2024, visits to traditional grocery mainstays like Kroger, Safeway, and H-E-B shot up by a remarkable 66.9% to 79.2% compared to the 2024 daily average. And on December 23rd, foot traffic to the chains rose once again, though somewhat more moderately, as shoppers geared up for Christmas celebrations.
But the holiday season stock-up, it turns out, is about more than just food. Whether to help smooth out the rough edges of family interactions or to take celebrations to the next level, consumers also make pre-holiday runs to liquor stores. On Turkey Wednesday, leading spirit purveyors outperformed traditional grocery stores with epic 140.1% to 236.5% visit spikes. And the day before Christmas Eve was an even bigger milestone for the segment, with foot traffic skyrocketing by a staggering 153.6% to 283.8% above daily averages.
Ethnic supermarkets – chains like El Super and Vallarta Supermarket – also thrived on these traditional pre-holiday grocery store milestones. But like liquor stores, they saw bigger visit spikes on December 23rd, as customers likely sought out ingredients for their festive holiday dinners.
Grocery stores seeking to maximize the power of these pre-holiday milestones in 2025 could enhance their liquor selections and launch targeted promotions in the lead-up to both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Dining venues are also impacted by the rhythms of the holiday season – but each segment within the dining industry follows its own unique seasonal trajectory.
Visits to the fast-casual, coffee, and fine-dining segments increased the week before Thanksgiving, with fast-casual and coffee visits peaking on Wednesday and fine-dining peaking on Thanksgiving day. Both coffee and fine-dining chains also received a small traffic bump on Black Friday, with coffee traffic likely aided by consumers looking to refuel during their shopping.
But beginning in mid-December, the fine-dining category pulled ahead of the other dining segments, picking up steam as the month wore on before peaking on December 23rd and 24th. And while traffic predictably declined on Christmas Day, the drop was less pronounced than for the other analyzed segments. Fine dining then resumed its strong showing on December 26th, maintaining elevated visits through the following days, potentially reflecting its appeal as a festive holiday dining destination for families.
Coffee chains and fast-casual restaurants also enjoyed moderately elevated December traffic, with smaller visit spikes on December 23rd. Traffic to both segments then slowed during the holiday – though coffee chains continued to see higher-than-average foot traffic on Christmas Eve – before tapering off as the month drew to a close.
Looking ahead to 2025, each dining segment can take steps to maximize its holiday impact. Fine dining chains can attract more special-occasion celebrants with unique holiday-themed menu items – paired with targeted promotions that make its premium offerings more accessible to families. Meanwhile, fast-casual and coffee chains can capitalize on high-traffic days like December 23rd by catering to the needs of busy holiday shoppers – extending operating hours and offering streamlined ordering and pickup options.
The 2024 holiday season proved strong for most retail categories, with each retail category displaying a different holiday visit pattern. This year’s calendar layout also presented a unique advantage, with a longer stretch between Super Saturday and Christmas compared to last year.
By analyzing 2024 holiday regional visit trends, understanding the role that each year’s specific calendar configuration plays in shaping consumer behavior, and identifying the unique retail milestones for each chain and category, retail and dining stakeholders can refine their strategies and make the most of the 2025 holiday season.
