Lila Margalit

How did leading eatertainment chains Dave & Buster’s and Chuck E. Cheese perform in Q3 2024? We dove into the data to find out. 

Dave & Buster’s Sees Lower But More Extended Summer Visit Peak

Since January 2024, Dave & Buster’s has enjoyed mainly positive YoY visit growth, fueled in part by the eatertainment leader’s continued expansion. In Q2 and Q3 2024, visits to the chain were up 3.2% and 7.3%, respectively. And though YoY foot traffic to the chain slowed down in Q3 2024, a look at Dave & Buster’s monthly visit patterns shows that this may have been due in part to a summer visit peak that was slightly lower – but more extended – than that seen last year. 

In 2023, Dave & Buster’s experienced three distinct visit spikes – in March, July, and December – with the restaurant’s 14.6% July visit boost (compared to a monthly average for Jan. ‘23 - Oct. ‘24) preceded by a relatively quiet June (+2.0%). But this year, summer foot traffic began to trend upwards earlier, with both June and July seeing substantial upticks – 13.6% and 13.4%, respectively. (June is in Q2 and so this part of the uptick would not have been included in Q3 foot traffic numbers). And though September, usually a down period for Dave & Buster’s, saw a modest drop in visitors compared to 2023, the chain’s March peak was higher than last year’s.

Weekday Visits on an Upswing

Digging even deeper into the data shows that even as YoY quarterly visits to Dave & Buster’s remained flat in Q3 2024, mid-week visits to the chain continued to climb. Dave & Buster’s has been investing heavily in mid-week promotions meant to drive traffic during quieter periods, and its efforts are clearly paying off. On Wednesdays, Dave & Buster’s offers a 50% discount on games – and the average number of Wednesday visits to the chain were up 7.0% YoY. Thursdays, too, saw an 11.3% YoY foot traffic increase, likely fueled by diners drawn to Thursday specials as the most intensive part of the work week wound down. (In Q3 2024, July 4th fell on a Thursday, which also generated a significant visit bump – but even when discounting the week of the holiday, Thursday visits were up 6.4% on average.)

Against the backdrop of solid seasonal peaks and impressive mid-week visitation trends, Dave & Buster’s appears poised to enjoy a robust December – another important seasonal milestone for the restaurant. And keep an eye out for the week after Christmas, traditionally Dave & Buster’s busiest week of the year: Last year, the week starting December 25th drove a 65.0% visit spike to the chain compared to a 2023 weekly average.

Summer Success at Chuck E. Cheese 

Speaking of promotions – Chuck E. Cheese is another eatertainment leader that has been finding success by leaning into special deals, making it easier for price-conscious consumers to treat their kids to pizza and fun. 

Following a lackluster start to the year, YoY visits to Chuck E. Cheese began trending upwards in May 2024 and have remained elevated ever since. Between June and August 2024, foot traffic to Chuck E. Cheese was up between 20.1% and 26.8% compared to the equivalent period of 2023. And though the pace of visit growth began to taper in September as kids went back to school, visits remained substantially higher than last year.  

Chuck it Up to Loyalty

What’s behind Chuck E. Cheese’s summer flourishing? A look at shifts in loyalty trends at the chain suggests that the success of this year’s Summer Fun Pass may be a big part of the story. 

On average, the share of loyal visitors to Chuck E. Cheese – i.e. those frequenting the restaurant at least twice in a month – tends to range between five and seven percent. Last summer, this percentage increased to 8.1%, as parents sought out indoor activities to keep kids occupied when school was out. But this year’s summer loyalty spike – just over 12.0% in both June and July – was significantly higher. 

Though Chuck E. Cheese also offered a Summer Fun Pass last year, this year’s deal provided even greater value – including unlimited visits over a two-month period, steep discounts on food, and up to 250 games per day. And the promotion was such a smashing success that Chuck E. Cheese has launched a new unlimited-visit pass meant to make frequent trips to the chain more affordable for families all year round. As the kids’ eatertainment leader continues to revamp its offerings – remodeling locations and adding new activities like indoor trampolines – Chuck E. Cheese appears poised to keep drawing the crowds.

Winning With Fun

Today’s cautious consumers are always on the lookout for ways to save – and eatertainment chains are paying attention. Will Dave & Buster’s post-Christmas visit spike outperform last year’s? And will Chuck E. Cheese’s new unlimited play model continue to drive traffic throughout Q4? 

Follow Placer.ai’s data driven analyses to find out. 

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The past several years have been a boom period for affordable indulgences – with consumers tightening their purse strings and finding inexpensive ways to treat themselves. Against this backdrop, discount specialty retailers Five Below and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet have been growing their footprints – and their audiences. But have the two chains reached their growth ceilings?  How did they fare in Q3 2024 – and what can they expect this holiday season? 

We dove into the data to find out. 

Growing Audiences

Five Below opened a record 205 new stores last year, leaning into growing consumer demand for low-cost toys, decor, and other indulgences. And though the chain announced plans to moderate fleet growth following a below-target Q2 2024, visit data shows that overall, the chain remains well-positioned for continued success. In Q3 2024, Five Below’s growing footprint fueled a 13.8% chain-wide year-over-year (YoY) visit boost. Though the average number of visits to each individual Five Below location remained slightly below 2023 levels, the chain’s visit-per-location gap narrowed to 1.6% from 4.3% in Q2. And in some key growth markets, Five Below saw significant increases in both YoY visits and visits per location: California, one of Five Below’s biggest regional markets and the focus of a major expansion push this year, saw visits per location grow 4.4% amidst a 21.6% overall visit increase.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is another value-focused specialty retailer that has benefited from consumer trading down in recent years. And foot traffic data highlights the success of Ollie’s ongoing expansion: In Q3 2024, foot traffic to Ollie’s increased 7.5% YoY, while the average number of visits to each Ollie’s location also increased slightly by 0.9%. Though this represents a smaller visit-per-location increase than that seen in Q2, Ollie’s ability to maintain strong per-location visit levels while increasing its store count shows that the chain’s offerings are still meeting robust demand. And Ollie’s shows no sign of slowing down – snapping up former Big Lots store leases and plotting westward expansion. 

What About the Holidays?

Five Below and Ollie’s are both popular holiday shopping destinations. But what can the two retailers expect this year? 

Visit data shows that Five Below and Ollies experience holiday milestones somewhat differently. Ollie’s, with its broad selection of deeply discounted high-ticket items, sees a slightly bigger Black Friday spike than Five Below: On November 24th, 2023, visits to Ollie’s surged by 222.9% compared to a 2023 daily average, higher than Five Below’s none-too-shabby 204.1%. 

Meanwhile, the run-up to Christmas is is Five Below’s time to shine – with visits slowly increasing throughout December before reaching a crescendo on Super Saturday. In 2023, Five Below’s busiest day of the year was December 23rd, as customers flocked to the chain to pick up stocking stuffers, festive decor, and other inexpensive holiday items. Ollie’s, on the other hand, saw a more moderate 171.7% Super Saturday visit increase. As Five Below continues to expand its pricier “Five Beyond” offerings, Black Friday may take on greater importance for the retailer in coming years. 

But while Ollie’s visit peaks were more subdued than those of Five Below throughout most of the holiday season, the chain’s treasure hunt vibe consistently drew longer visitor dwell times. On Black Friday last year, 26.5% of visitors to Ollie’s remained in-store for more than 45 minutes, compared to just 18.3% at Five Below. And despite Ollie’s significantly smaller Super Saturday crowds, customers spent substantially more time browsing its aisles to snag the perfect bargain find. 

Looking Ahead

Five Below and Ollie’s both appear poised to enjoy a busy holiday season. Will the retailers deliver? 

Follow Placer.ai’s data-driven retail analyses to find out. 

The Kroger Co. has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a single grocery store in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883. Today, the brand operates over 2,700 stores under its numerous grocery store banners.

We analyzed the visitation patterns at some of Kroger’s largest chains to see how these brands have fared over the past few months, and looked at what last year’s visit data can tell us about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Visits To Kroger Banners Show Stability in Q3 

The Kroger Co.’s various grocery banners vary in size and scale, with its eponymous banner Kroger – more than 1200 stores across much of the midwest and south – attracting the largest visit share relative to the company’s full grocery portfolio. Kroger’s other major regional chains, including Harris Teeter (mid and south atlantic states); Ralphs (California), King Soopers (primarily Colorado), Food 4 Less (California, Illinois, and Indiana), Smith’s (Mountain states), Fry’s (Arizona), and Fred Meyer (Pacific northwest), lend the company considerable presence nationwide. 

On the whole, visits to the analyzed Kroger chains remained fairly close to 2023’s levels, with visits to Kroger, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Smith’s, and Fry’s sustaining minor YoY visit gaps. No-frills value chain Food 4 Less enjoyed 2.7% YoY visit growth in Q3, likely buoyed by the same trading down behaviors that have propelled growth at other low-cost supermarkets this year. Ralphs and King Soopers also saw YoY visit growth, perhaps aided by California and Colorado’s relatively high median household incomes (HHIs) – $94.1K and $89.1K, respectively, according to data from STI: PopStats, compared to the nationwide baseline of $76.1K. 

Shoppers Lingering at Discount, Hypermarket Options

Kroger’s extensive reach allows it to appeal to a wide range of grocery shoppers. The company operates both discount grocery chains, such as Food 4 Less, more upscale ones like Harris Teeter, and everything in between. 

Diving into the share of visits lasting 30 minutes or longer at individual Kroger banners reveals substantial variation, with Fred Meyer and Food 4 Less receiving the highest shares of long visits among the analyzed chains. In Q3 2024, 30.3% of Fred Meyer visits and 30.7% of Food 4 Less visits lasted over 30 minutes – a stark contrast to Ralphs (20.9%), Harris Teeter (22.6%) and King Soopers (23.5%). 

This variance in dwell times may reflect the differing offerings of each chain. Hypermarket Fred Meyer provides a wide range of services beyond groceries – including pharmacies, department stores, and jewelry offerings – which could encourage shoppers to spend more time exploring. And Food 4 Less falls squarely into the discount grocery segment, one that often sees customers spending more time in-store searching for the best deals. 

Turkey Wednesday Poised to Bring the Crowds

While not (yet!) an official holiday, Turkey Wednesday – the day before Thanksgiving – is one of the most important days of the year for grocers as shoppers flock to stores to pick up last-minute items for their upcoming feasts. 

And while Thanksgiving is still over a week away, analyzing trends from previous years can help grocers prepare for the coming frenzy. On November 22nd, 2023 – the day before Thanksgiving – visits across all analyzed Kroger chains shot up between 55.3% and 92.6% compared to the daily visit average for 2023. And visitors at each of the chains stayed longer in-store than they typically did during the rest of the year. 

With visits to Kroger’s major banners either nearly on par with or ahead of last year’s levels, the company appears well-positioned to enjoy another year of strong Turkey Wednesday visits.

Final Thoughts

If previous years are any indication, Kroger’s grocery banners should be preparing for a surge in Thanksgiving shopping. Will visits outpace those of last year?

Visit Placer.ai to keep up with the latest data-driven grocery insights.

The all-important fourth quarter of the year is underway, and leading beauty chains like Ulta Beauty and Sally Beauty Supply are gearing up for an exciting holiday shopping season. We dove into the data to see how the two chains have performed in recent months – and what they can expect in this year’s Q4 retail milestones.

Ramping Up Ahead of the Holidays

In Q3 2024 (July - September), quarterly visits to Ulta and Sally Beauty were essentially on par with last year’s levels. Ulta saw a minor year-over-year (YoY) uptick of 1.2%, while Sally Beauty maintained a slight visit gap. 

Diving into monthly visit trends, ever-expanding Ulta experienced positive YoY foot traffic growth throughout the summer – especially in August, when an additional Saturday provided vacationers and back-to-school shoppers with extra weekend browsing time. And though visits to the chain dipped in September, they quickly bounced back again, with October seeing a 4.5% YoY visit boost likely bolstered by Halloween offerings and seasonal sales. 

Sally Beauty, for its part, has been closing locations as part of a store optimization plan implemented largely in 2023. Viewed against this backdrop, the chain’s modest monthly visit gaps – which narrowed to just 0.2% in October 2024 – are particularly impressive. And Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. has remained nimble on its feet, testing new concepts like Happy Beauty Co., a new store format with cosmetics and other self-care products priced under $10. 

For both chains, their October showing signals that eager customers are gearing up for a busy Q4.

Looking Back to See Ahead 

But how do Ulta and Sally Beauty experience the holiday season? Which retail milestones resonate most strongly with their customers – and where do they see the most impressive holiday visit boosts? 

Ulta Beauty leans heavily into Black Friday each year with early deals that culminate in a shopping bonanza on the day after Thanksgiving – and in 2023, the milestone was the chain’s busiest day of the year. On November 24th, 2023, visits to Ulta were up 270.6% compared to a 2023 daily average. The second-busiest day of the year for Ulta was Super Saturday (December 23rd, 2023), which saw a 219.0% visit bump. 

Still, looking at major Ulta markets throughout the country reveals significant regional variation in holiday milestone visitation patterns. Like many other retailers, Ulta experiences bigger Black Friday visit bumps in midwestern metro areas like Chicago, and much smaller ones in California hubs like Los Angeles. And though Black Friday is more important for the chain than Super Saturday on a national level, several CBSAs – including Dallas, New York, and Los Angeles – saw bigger boosts on Super Saturday than on Black Friday. 

Sally Beauty – with its more specialized focus on hair care products – sees smaller holiday visit bumps than Ulta. But the chain’s holiday deals do draw crowds. December 23rd was Sally Beauty’s busiest day last year, with visits up 86.2% nationwide and significantly elevated throughout the chain’s major markets. And though Black Friday is much less significant for the retailer – in 2023, it was only Sally Beauty’s 11th busiest day of the year – the chain’s Black Friday deals drove a 55.4% visit bump.

Going the Distance for Holiday Finds

And visits aren’t the only thing that increase at Ulta and Sally Beauty during the holidays. Looking at driving distances to the two chains shows that on Q4 milestones – and especially Black Friday – people travel farther to shop the sales. On Black Friday 2023, and to a lesser extent Super Saturday, both retailers saw significant jumps in the share of visitors traveling more than 10 or 30 miles to visit their brick-and-mortar locations. 

Much to Anticipate

Affordable luxuries like cosmetics and hair care products make the perfect stocking stuffers for consumers still concerned about high prices. And if last year’s holiday trends are any indication, Ulta and Sally Beauty appear poised to enjoy a very festive holiday season indeed. 

Visit Placer.ai for more data-driven retail insights.

Note: This post utilizes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.1. and thus reflects minor adjustments in data from previous reports. 

Amazon, Dell, Goldman Sachs, Walmart, UPS – these are just a few of the major employers that have been cracking down on remote work in recent months, some requiring their teams to be on-site full time. 

So with summer behind us, we dove into the data to assess the impact these accumulating RTO mandates are having on the ground. Are offices continuing to fill up, or has the office recovery run its course? 

Recovery, Unabated

In October 2024, office visits nationwide were 34.0% below October 2019 levels. And looking at monthly fluctuations in office foot traffic over the past five years shows that the RTO remains in full swing – with last month’s visits reaching the highest point seen since February 2020.

New York and Miami Hold the Lead

Digging down into regional data shows that in several major hubs – including Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco – October 2024 was the single busiest in-office month since COVID. And in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, October was the second-busiest month, outpaced only by July. 

Still, New York and Miami continued to lead the regional office recovery pack, with October 2024 visits in the two cities up to 86.2% and 82.6%, respectively, of 2019 levels. The two hubs, joined by Atlanta and Dallas, continued to outperform the nationwide average. And Houston, which lagged behind other major business hubs during the summer in the wake of major storms, reclaimed its position just under the nationwide baseline.

Washington, D.C., Boston, and Atlanta Lead in YoY Growth

In October 2024, visits to office buildings in Washington D.C. increased 16.4% year over year (YoY), likely boosted by an RTO push meant to increase meaningful in-person work in federal agencies – though many government employees continue to telework. Boston, where office building occupancy is outperforming national levels, visits saw a 15.6% YoY uptick. And Atlanta, where major employers from UPS to NCR Voyix are requiring workers to show their faces five days a week, saw visits grow 13.8% YoY. 

Nationwide, office foot traffic increased 10.1% YoY – showing that the return-to-office is still very much a work in progress.

More Recovery Ahead?

Office attendance fosters creativity, mutual learning, and a sense of community – and can be critical for early-career success. But working from home at least some of the time offers greater flexibility that can improve employees’ work-life balance and in some cases, even enhance productivity. How will companies and employees continue to navigate the ongoing RTO? 

Follow Placer.ai’s data-driven office recovery analyses to find out. 

This blog includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.1, which introduces a new dynamic model that stabilizes daily fluctuations in the panel, improving accuracy and alignment with external ground truth sources.

Last year’s holiday shopping season was an impactful one, with many categories seeing record-breaking sales and visits. And perhaps no category benefits from Q4 peaks quite like department stores, which see major foot traffic spikes on Black Friday and in the run-up to Christmas. 

So with Q4 2024 seemingly primed to be another strong season, we took a look at department store visitation patterns this year and during previous holiday seasons to see what might lie ahead for the category in the coming weeks. 

Predictable Seasonal Patterns

The holiday shopping calendar often begins as early as October, as consumers start preparing for Halloween before shifting their focus to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas. This time of year tends to be one of the busiest for many retailers, as it encompasses a variety of shopping needs, including gifts and seasonal celebrations. 

And one retail category that sees major visit increases every holiday season is department stores. Chains like Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s experience substantial spikes in visits throughout Q4 as shoppers flock to their locations to take advantage of sales and find gifts for their loved ones.

And though consumers’ holiday shopping behavior varies somewhat each year, analyzing weekly fluctuations in visits to department stores reveals some predictable patterns. Every year, visits to department stores see modest increases during major retail events like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and back-to-school shopping season – before surging during the week of Black Friday (week 47) and then again in the run-up to Christmas. During the week of last year’s Black Friday, for example, department store visits soared 65.2% above the 2023 weekly average – only to go even higher (122.8%) during the week before Christmas (week 51).

Nordstrom Picks Up The Pace

Nordstrom is one department store that seems poised to enjoy a particularly robust holiday shopping season this year. The chain, which operates more than 90 of its namesake stores, also has an off-price banner – Nordstrom Rack – with over 250 locations. And both brands have enjoyed stable visit growth since April 2024 – with quarterly YoY visits to Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack elevated by 1.4% and 9.6%, respectively, in Q2 2024, and by 1.4% and 5.0%, respectively, in Q3 2024. By contrast, the wider department store category sustained consistent YoY visit gaps. 

Drilling down deeper into weekly visit data shows that this positive trend continued into October. And while Nordstrom Rack – which is firmly in expansion mode – outperformed Nordstrom’s traditional stores through September, this trend reversed slightly in October, as the holiday season grew closer. With Black Friday just around the corner, both chains seem well positioned to continue driving visits to their respective stores.

Macy’s “Bold New Chapter” in Play? 

Macy’s Inc., for its part, is doubling down on its “Bold New Chapter” – a turnaround strategy involving a significant trimming of the company’s traditional Macy’s portfolio and the addition of several Bloomingdale’s and small-format stores. In August, Macy’s announced its intention to increase to 55 the number of Macy’s locations slated for closure by the end of 2024. And though the plan’s implementation is still in early stages, foot traffic data suggests that both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are holding their own. 

In Q2 and Q3 2024, Macy’s sustained minor YoY visit gaps – 2.8% and 3.5%, respectively – slightly outperforming the broader category. Meanwhile, Macy’s high-end Bloomingdale’s brand saw a YoY visit uptick of 1.9% in Q2, while Q3 visits remained flat compared to 2023. And given the huge monthly visit spikes both chains experience each year in November and December, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s appear well positioned to once again experience a surge in foot traffic as the holiday season begins.

Final Thoughts

If previous years are any indication, department stores should be getting ready for significant foot traffic increases as the holidays quickly approach. Will improving consumer sentiment and cooling inflation lead to visit increases at department stores, or will consumers decide to take it easy this year?

Visit Placer.ai to keep up with the latest data-driven retail insights.