Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Placer Bites: Popeyes, Burger King Drive RBI's Big Quarter & Walgreens Outlook

by 
Ethan Chernofsky
 on 
October 28, 2019
Placer Bites: Popeyes, Burger King Drive RBI's Big Quarter & Walgreens Outlook

Restaurant Brands International (QSR) is the parent company of two of the more interesting QSR brands in the country - Burger King and Popeyes. With McDonald’s recently seeing a dip in visits, questions will naturally arise around the performance of RBI’s two leading players.

So what did Q3 mean for Burger King and Popeyes?

Chicken Wars Dominance

Whether it be the tremendous impact it had on Popeyes or the wider effect of the social media phenomenon that was the #chickenwars, it is clear that chicken sandwiches were the king of summer. Popeyes saw so much value in the craze that their daily visit numbers came into Burger King range, even though they have less than a third the number of US locations.

And the impact of this was enormous. Analyzing baseline change for Popeyes between July 2017 and September 2019 shows that August 2019 was a massive 65.2% above the baseline, a huge number for a company with steady visit rates throughout the year. Yet, this massive peak was building upon growth that had already appeared in July. July 2019 visits were 12.2% above the baseline, a huge jump over July 2018’s 2.3%. Even September 2019 benefitted, with visits at 0.4% above the baseline compared to 7% below in 2018.

What About the King?

And while the Popeyes effect was clear to anyone watching the sector, RBI’s boost may be further pushed by Burger King’s strong summer. Visits to Burger King locations nationwide were up 16.1% in July 2019 compared to the same month in 2018, 15.2% up in August 2019 compared to August 2018 and even up 3.2% in September.

These are significant jumps that speak to a powerful opportunity among the wider RBI portfolio that go well beyond the Chicken Wars.

Walgreens Mixed Quarter

Walgreens hasn’t had the best year. Alongside plans to shutter Rite Aid and Boots locations, they also announced a plan in August to close hundreds of Walgreens locations as well. We dug into Q3 data to see what this might mean for the overall picture of Walgreens traffic. 

The first important thing to note is that the brand saw Year over Year growth in Q3 2018 in each month compared to the same month in 2017. Looking at the Year over Year traffic change in 2019 is more of a mixed bag. July traffic was down 0.2% compared to July 2018, though a change this small is hardly cause for significant worry. August 2019 traffic was up 1.9% over August 2018, a promising sign. Though there was a significant 6.4% decline in September traffic, however, this mirrors wider decreases across the retail landscape in that month. 

So are things good or bad? The likely answer is mixed. Traffic is indeed down Year over Year, but there are promising signs that these are certainly recoverable visits - including the August growth. Additionally, Walgreens seems focused on taking strong steps to drive a return to growth including pushing innovative ideas like a new partnership with FedEx, and a drive to open Primary Care Centers in locations. These decisions collectively reflect strong approaches to driving more visits (FedEx) and more substantial visits (Primary Care) that can increase overall traffic, visit durations and, hopefully, purchases.

Yet, a lot could be told by the way the closures happen. If Walgreen can effectively close the right stores - ones with a higher level of cannibalization, or lesser performance - the impact may actually boost operational efficiency without hurting revenues too much. Indeed, the ability to better optimize locations could speak volumes to the brand’s future potential.

How will the RBI portfolio build upon its strong performance? Can Walgreens restructure to find growth? Visit Placer.ai to find out.

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Why Are Specialty Grocers Thriving in 2023?
The CAVA Craze: A Location Intelligence Perspective on the Mediterranean Marvel
How Will Primark’s US Expansion Impact Target?
All Eyes on Eyewear
Northwestern U.S. Grocery Dive
Return of the Lunch: Salad Chains Are Thriving
Retail Media Networks – Off the Beaten Track
Bet Your Bottom Dollar: Discount and Dollar Stores Drive Foot Traffic
Ulta & Lululemon: Discretionary Spending On The Up
The Score After Q1: Sporting Goods Chains
Who Uses NYC Airports: Biting Into The Big Apple’s Main Transport Hubs
Off Price: Strength in The Face of Retail Challenges
Visits Improve for Home Improvement
Walmart, Target & Wholesalers in Q1 2023 – The Return of Mission-Driven Shopping?
Department Store Roundup: Q1 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: April 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index, April 2023 – A Rebound on the Horizon?
How Will Bed Bath & Beyond’s Bankruptcy Impact the Retail Space?
Buffet Restaurants: Filling Up on Foot Traffic
Thrift Stores: Vintage Visits Drive New Age in Apparel
The Windy City: A Hub of Post-Pandemic Opportunity
Diving into Dining Traffic - Q1 2023
Bring On The Joe
A Dollar (or more) For Your Thoughts: Five Below and pOpshelf
Dining Out With The Cheesecake Factory
Retail Foot Traffic Recap – March 2023
Digging Into 2023: McDonald’s and Chipotle Update
Placer.ai Office Index: March 2023 Recap
How Did Key Retail Categories Perform in Q1 2023?
Northeastern USA Grocery Dive
Movie Theaters Storylines for 2023
Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Discounters are Evolving
Leveraging Brick-and-Mortar Retail in 2023
America’s Evolving Work Patterns: A Deep-Dive into New York and Chicago
Placer.ai Mall Index March 2023
Tuning Into Record Stores
Five Franchises To Watch in 2023
What’s Next For Domestic Tourism?
It’s Showtime! Movie Theaters in the Spotlight
5 Limited Time Offers (LTOs) Driving Restaurant Traffic
Department Store Deep-Dive: Belk
Regional Grocery Chains Staying Ahead of the Competition
Five Chains that Rightsized for Success
Unlocking the Potential of Offline Retail Media Networks
Dining Out With Darden
What’s in Store for Self-Storage?
Nike & lululemon Update: Strong Performance Amid Expansion Plans
Many Ways to Win: Midwest Grocery Deep Dive
Retail, Reinvented: The Rise of the Pop-Up Shop
Navigating a New Normal in Business Travel & Commutes
Placer.ai Office Index: February 2023 Recap
Retail Categories Staying Strong in Volatile Environment
Ulta Beauty: Poised for Success into 2023
Placer.ai Mall Index February 2023: Reasons for Continued Optimism
Catching Up With DICK’s & Hibbett
The Miami-Dade Arena: An Advertising Slam Dunk
Car Washes Revving Up Visits
Tuesday Morning and Sunrises in Home Furnishing
Dining & Valentine’s Day Recap
2023: The Year of the Discount Store
Aldi’s Success Highlights Growing Demand for Value Groceries
5 Retail & Service Categories Holding onto Pandemic Gains in 2023
Visitor Insights from Super Bowl 2023
2023 First Look: Home Improvement Update
How Are Target, Walmart, and Wholesale Clubs Faring in 2023?
Department Store Deep-Dive: Nordstrom
Off-Price: Taking Off in Uncertain Times
Checking in On Middle-Class Hubs
Who Attends the Super Bowl?
Placer.ai Office Index: January 2023 Recap
Focusing On Fitness: Q4 and January Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: January 2023 – Returning Mall Normalcy?
Location Intelligence Insights Into Concert Attendance
Winning Dining Strategies for 2023
In-N-Out Burger: What to Expect as the Brand Moves East
Location Intelligence Breakdown: Coffee Caps-Off 2022
Digitally Native Brands Lean Into Brick & Mortar
Washington, D.C. Population Changes & Migration Trends
A Location Intelligence Perspective on Macy’s Rightsizing
Amazon-Powered Shopping: The Future of Brick-and-Mortar Grocery?
Cold Weather, Hot Visits: Diving into Winter Resorts
Wawa and 7-Eleven: Leaning Into the “Slurpee Effect”
2022 and Beyond: Catching Up With McDonald’s & Chipotle
Let’s Have Some Fun! Going Out Is In
Placer.ai’s Q4 2022 Quarterly Index
Placer.ai Adds Industry Executives to Leadership Team To Drive Company's Next Phase of Growth
5 Emerging Retail Formats: 2023’s Brick-and-Mortar Evolution
Grocery Update: Zooming in on the Lone Star State
2022 Office Recap: The Year of the TGIF Work Week
What Lies Ahead for Brick-and-Mortar Luxury in 2023
Placer.ai Mall Indexes: December 2022 Recap
Looking Back on 2022’s Holiday Shopping Season
Post-Pandemic Migration Trends in New York
Top Retailers for 2023
The Live Sports Advertising Opportunity
Domestic Migration to the Mountain States: Small Shifts with Big Implications
New Year, New Food: 5 Dining Trends For 2023
Announcing Placer.ai’s COVID RECOVERY DASHBOARD
This is Why Shop-in-Shops Are Everywhere
Super Saturday 2022 Recap