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Traffic to First Watch continues to climb as the company forges on with its expansion. Visits to the chain were 7.3% higher year-over-year (YoY) in Q1 2025 as visits per location held essentially steady (-0.8% YoY) – revealing that demand for the breakfast, brunch, and lunch dining concept remains robust despite the consumer headwinds.
And according to the latest monthly data, First Watch may be in even better shape than its already strong Q1 2024 visit numbers suggest. In April 2025, overall visits to the chain grew 10.5% YoY while visits per location increased by 3.0% – indicating that the morning and afternoon-focused dining brand likely still has more room to grow.
For more data-driven consumer analysis, visit placer.ai/anchor.
While Warby Parker and Allbirds both originated as direct-to-consumer brands, they have since firmly established themselves as brick-and-mortar retailers. Warby Parker, known for its quirky and affordable approach to eyecare, has around 270 stores in the United States, while Allbirds, which recently underwent a significant rightsizing process, currently operates 24 stores across the country.
We took a look at the visit data for the two retailers to explore how they are faring thus far in 2025.
Warby Parker continues to impress. The eyewear chain, which transitioned from an online-only model to physical stores in 2013, spent 2024 adding stores to its current fleet – and visit data highlights the positive impact of this expansion.
Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 visits to Warby Parker were 13.4% and 6.6% higher, respectively, than in Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. Average visits per location, too, showed growth in Q4 2024 (+4.9%), though they slowed slightly in Q1 2025. Still, Warby Parker’s ability to drive visit growth while keeping average visits per location stable suggests that its expansions are meeting with consistent demand.
Weekly visits from 2025 onward highlight the brands’ strong positioning, with YoY visit growth in most analyzed weeks. (The significant YoY visit decline during the weeks of March 31st and April 7th is likely due to the comparison with last year’s major eclipse-related promotion, during which the chain offered free solar eclipse glasses.)
Shoewear company Allbirds has been charting a new performance course over the last year. The chain, known for its sustainable approach to footwear, recently closed nearly a third of its U.S. fleet in an attempt to optimize its stateside operations. And this consolidation, which allows Allbirds to prioritize top-performing locations, has yielded promising results for the chain.
While YoY visits were down across all analyzed months – an anticipated outcome given the significant reduction in store count – average visits per location, a more relevant indicator of Allbirds’ performance, were up on a near-constant basis. In Q1 2025, visits declined by 35.8% YoY, but visits per location grew by 14.1%.
Monthly visits followed a similar pattern: while overall visits declined by 25.9% YoY in March 2025, visits per location were up by 23.8%. This positive trend continued into April 2025, with overall visits down by just 9.2% YoY and visits per location remaining elevated at 21.0%, suggesting a strengthened performance at the remaining Allbirds stores.
This focus on a more efficient store footprint seems to be paying off for Allbirds, allowing the chain to accurately target its most receptive audience while cutting out underperforming locations.
Warby Parker and Allbirds are performing well, highlighting the importance of remaining agile and pivoting to meet evolving consumer challenges.
Will the two retailers continue to thrive?
Visit Placer.ai to keep up with the latest data-driven retail news.
Some moments in our lives remain ingrained in our heads. One such time period was March of 2020, when it felt like the world suddenly stood still as malls, street retail, and dining establishments closed, everyone masked up, and only essential retail and health services continued. After a while, limitations relaxed, but not without a subconscious preference for open-air shopping centers that appears to linger to this day. Granted, many open-air shopping centers are also newer or redeveloped, thus likely contributing to their popularity. However, there’s no doubt that they’ve rebounded at a higher rate compared to their indoor mall and even outlet mall counterparts.
We analyzed traffic data for one of the most-visited open-air shopping centers in the nation, Victoria Gardens, to see what sets it apart and what continues to draw consumers to open-air centers.
This open-air shopping center is over 1.1 million square feet and hosts over 160 retailers within its borders. In addition to marquee brands such as Apple, lululemon, AMC Theatres, and Cheesecake Factory, it also has regional favorites such as Seven Grams dumpling house and cult-favorite Duck Donuts. Boasting a 160 acre main street community, its walkable layout beckons while classics play in the background. Quite a few of the concepts at Victoria Gardens are on trend. For instance, the Food Hall features local eatery Elephant Thai, which is perfectly in keeping with the popularity of all things Thai these days with Season 3 of White Lotus being set in Koh Samui.
Another genre that one doesn’t often see in more urban mall locations are two retailers devoted to Western wear – Buckle and Tecovas.
Tecovas has a fascinating backstory with its founder, Paul Hedrick, partnering initially with bootmakers from Leon, Mexico, the “boot-making capital of the Americas” and selling his first pairs from the backseat of his SUV. With an average dwell time of 40 minutes between April 2024 and February 2025 and holiday spikes for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s clear that for many shoppers, a pair of Tecova boots are on their wishlist.
One of the more unique aspects of this mall is its Cultural Center on premise. With a performing arts theater, library, and interactive children’s museum right next to retail, dining, and a movie theater, it’s truly a one-stop shop for its community.
As shopping centers continue to evolve, with many adopting a Town Square approach, the appeal of open-air shopping centers – full of public spaces, greenery, walkable paths, and fresh air – will only continue to grow.
For more data-driven consumer insights, visit placer.ai/anchor
Aldi and Lidl have firmly established themselves as discount powerhouses. The two German retailers entered the United States market at different times, with Aldi opening its first location in 1976 and Lidl making its way stateside in 2017 – and diving into the foot traffic shows that both are thriving.
In the first quarter of 2025, visits to Aldi and Lidl saw significant year-over-year (YoY) increases of 8.9% and 4.2%, respectively – well above the industry-wide average (0.9%.)
Aldi, which has been on an expansion tear for the past few years, saw a YoY increase in average visits per location – but so did Lidl, which has been slower to add new locations. And this growth – 4.7% at Aldi and 1.9% at Lidl – highlights that their stores, whether new locations or already-existing ones, are driving sustained demand.
A closer look at visitor behavior offers valuable insights into the factors driving the foot traffic success of Aldi and Lidl.
A significantly larger proportion of Aldi and Lidl's visits – 37.2% and 37.7%, respectively – took place on Saturdays and Sundays compared to visits to traditional and value grocery stores. This suggests that the attractive price points offered by Aldi and Lidl position them as prime destinations for shoppers making weekend stock-up trips.
On a chain level, both Aldi and Lidl are finding their own paths to success. Aldi is currently undergoing a significant growth phase, aiming to operate 800 stores by the end of 2028. This ambitious trajectory includes adding at least 225 new locations in 2025 alone – and examining the visit distribution across Aldi's largest markets provides valuable insights into how its strategy is unfolding. Contextualizing Aldi’s performance against the wider grocery segment provides a birds-eye view of the value grocer’s performance.
Over the past few years, Aldi has consistently increased its visit share when compared to the overall grocery segment, both nationally and across its major markets. For instance, in Florida, one of Aldi’s largest markets, its visit share grew from 4.8% in Q1 2022 to 7.0% in Q1 2025. And in Illinois, now its second-largest market, Aldi increased its visit share from 12.2% to 14.8% over the same period.
This consistent growth in visit share underscores the broad appeal of Aldi's value proposition to shoppers across the country, suggesting that its ambitious expansion plans are likely to be well-received by consumers.
Lidl also plans to grow its store count, though at a more modest pace than Aldi. And the chain is focusing on its already-existing markets in hopes of entrenching itself further in areas where it already has strong brand recognition.
Geographic segmentation data from the Esri: Tapestry Segmentation dataset within Lidl’s potential and captured markets reveals promising insights into where the retailer might find its most receptive audiences. In its potential market – calculated by weighting each Census Block Group (CBG) within Lidl’s trade area according to population size – the share of visitors from "Suburban Periphery" areas was 41.5%. However, in its captured market, determined by weighting each CBG according to its share of actual visits to Lidl – so better representing its current visitor profile – this suburban segment constitutes a significantly larger 56.4%. Conversely, the proportion of visitors originating from "Principal Urban Centers" and "Metro Cities" was higher in Lidl’s potential market compared to its captured market.
These metrics strongly suggest that Lidl has more demand in the suburbs than it may realize – and as it expands, focusing on these areas might prove to be a winning strategy for the chain.
Aldi and Lidl are thriving, growing their audiences during a challenging economic climate.
Will visits to the two chains continue to increase throughout 2025? Visit Placer.ai to keep up with the latest data-driven grocery insights.
Amid rising housing costs and shifting consumer lifestyles, self-storage has emerged as a go-to solution for many Americans. We dove into the data to take the pulse of the market in Q1 2025 – and uncover the audience segments behind the industry’s ongoing growth.
Visits to leading self-storage companies have been on a steady growth trajectory since 2019. During the pandemic, storage utilization surged as many Americans relocated or stored items to free up space for home offices or DIY projects. Since then, high prices and interest rates appear to have further fueled demand, with some households likely deferring space-adding renovations or larger home purchases.
In Q1 2025, visits to Public Storage and CubeSmart were up 24.7% and 30.7%, respectively, compared to a Q1 2019 baseline. Extra Space Storage – which substantially expanded its unit count following its 2023 acquisition of Life Storage – saw visits surge 98.3% over the same baseline. And year over year (YoY), all three chains posted foot traffic growth, partly driven by continued expansion.
The baseline visit analysis also reveals a distinct seasonal pattern in self-storage usage patterns. Each year, visits to self-storage chains peak in Q2 and Q3 (April through September), aligning with spring cleaning, home improvement prime time, and moving season. Then in Q1, visits drop as people stay indoors during winter – likely also making fewer trips to access recreational gear and vehicles in storage.
Who are the consumers driving self-storage visit growth? Looking at the demographic characteristics of Extra Space Storage, Public Storage, and CubeSmart’s visitor bases reveals a common consumer profile across chains. In Q1 2025, the captured markets of all three chains had nearly identical median household incomes (HHIs), very close to the nationwide baseline of $79.6K. Their markets were also disproportionately urban, with higher-than-average shares of renter-occupied and multi-unit housing – all groups more likely to need extra storage space.
Still, as the self-storage market has grown, industry leaders have grown their presence in more affluent suburban markets. Between Q1 2019 and Q1 2025, Extra Space Storage’s share of “Wealthy Suburban Families” rose from 9.1% to 10.1% – slightly above the nationwide baseline of 9.6%. Meanwhile, Public Storage’s share of this segment increased from 8.8% to 9.8%, and CubeSmart’s share remained steady at 10.1%. A similar pattern emerged for “Upper Suburban Diverse Families”, with all three chains at or above the nationwide segment baseline of 9.0% by Q1 2025.
This small but perceptible shift may reflect rising demand from households where adult children are increasingly staying at home or returning after college, prompting a need for additional storage. Spare rooms once used for storage may also be increasingly repurposed into home offices, studios, or workout spaces in the wake of hybrid work trends.
Known for resilience in the face of economic headwinds and uncertainty, the self-storage space appears well-positioned to continue to thrive. How will the segment evolve in the years and months ahead?
Follow Placer.ai/anchor to find out.
Romance novels have long been the unsung heroes of the publishing industry, consistently driving significant sales and topping bestseller lists year after year. And now, the category is getting its moment in the spotlight. Independent bookstores specializing in romance and fantasy are popping up across the country, connecting romance readers with the books they love in a setting exclusively dedicated to them.
We took a look at one recent addition to the romance bookstore world – The Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, New York – to see what visitation trends reveal about the value of specialty stores in an environment increasingly dominated by general retailers.
The romance category has long been a quiet literary powerhouse – and now, the segment is getting its moment to shine. The rise of “BookTok” has helped propel the category into the spotlight, and independent, romance-centered bookstores are thriving. The Ripped Bodice is one such store: The first one opened in Culver City, CA in 2016, and the second in Brooklyn, NY in 2023. The Ripped Bodice’s Brooklyn location is located within two miles of two Barnes & Noble locations, so comparing visitation trends at the three stores highlights the value that the specialty bookstore adds to the book-centered retail landscape.
Location analytics reveal that visitors to The Ripped Bodice are much more likely to travel long distances to reach the store, with nearly half coming from over 50 miles away. In contrast, the two nearby Barnes & Noble stores saw just 4.8% and 8.6% of their visitors traveling from that distance. This suggests that the bookstore’s unique offerings make it something of a destination for romance lovers. Some vacationers visiting the area may include The Ripped Bodice as a must-see attraction, while others may make a dedicated journey just to explore its curated collection of romance novels.
The Ripped Bodice also attracts more weekend visits than nearby Barnes & Nobles. Over the past 12 months, almost half of visits to the niche bookstore – 48.8% – occurred on Saturdays and Sundays. In contrast, the two nearby Barnes & Noble locations received most of their visits on weekdays, with just 24.4% and 34.2% of their visits taking place on Saturdays and Sundays.
The contrasting weekend traffic trends highlight the unique value that specialized bookstores hold for niche hobbyists. In this case, romance enthusiasts seem to treat a trip to The Ripped Bodice as an activity in and of itself, prioritizing weekend visits to browse, connect with fellow readers, and enjoy a dedicated space for their favorite books and authors.
Further analysis of visitor behavior at The Ripped Bodice and nearby Barnes & Noble locations reveals how the specialized bookstore fosters a sense of community and encourages customers to linger.
On average, visitors to The Ripped Bodice spent 39 minutes in the store – soaking up the special ambiance or participating in the bookseller’s frequent events. In contrast, visitors to the Barnes & Noble on 7th Ave. – which unlike The Ripped Bodice, has an on-site cafe – stayed for an average of 37 minutes, while visitors to the location on Atlantic Ave. lingered for just 32 minutes.
The Ripped Bodice’s longer dwell times serve as a reminder of the value retailers can find in catering to niche interests. Specialized stores often create an environment where customers feel comfortable spending more time, allowing for greater product discovery and stronger loyalty. Retailers of all sizes can consider offering more specialized experiences within their stores to create inviting spaces that encourage exploration among diverse customer groups.
The visitation patterns at The Ripped Bodice can be read as a story of one retailer – but it can also offer insights into the value of catering to niche hobbies. When retailers provide consumers with a dedicated space to explore and deepen their interests, they open up opportunities for success.
Visit Placer.ai for more data-driven retail insights.
