Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

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

Placer Bytes: Warby Parker and First Watch

by 
Shira Petrack
 on 
October 21, 2021
Placer Bytes: Warby Parker and First Watch

Both Warby Parker and First Watch have been aggressively growing their offline presence. So, we dove into the foot traffic data to find out how the brick and mortar expansions are affecting visit patterns.

Warby Parker’s Offline Expansion 

Much has been written about Warby Parker’s brick and mortar expansion. The eyeglasses disrupter opened its first offline store in 2013 and now operates over 140 stores throughout the United States. And the growth in stores has led to a massive increase in foot traffic. Although 2021 was a tough year for many retailers, Warby Parker saw its year-over-two-year visits rise by 32.4%, 19.2%, and 25.4% in July, August, and September, respectively - largely because of this expansion.

The hike in locations and visits in what are still pandemic-impacted times is all the more impressive considering Warby Parker’s origins. The brand began as an online-only DTC retailer and has continued to scale its online retail capacities during the pandemic. The fact that consumers continue to flock to the brand’s brick and mortar stores is a testament not only to Warby Parker’s strategy, but also to the enduring pull of offline retail channels. 

But how much of Warby Parker’s foot traffic is due to the opening of new stores, and how much is due to an increase in the volume of visits per location? Diving into the average number of visits per venue for the chain provides a partial answer. Although overall monthly visits for the brand have been consistently higher than in 2019, the average number of visits per venue has actually decreased during most months of the year so far. While the average number of visits per venue came close to 2019 figures this summer – during sunglasses season – the metric fell again in August when the average number of visits per venue was 10.5% lower than it was in 2019. 

The drop in visits per store is obviously highly connected to the current situation and the spectre of COVID. After all, trying on glasses that have been tried on by an unknown number of customers before you loses some of its appeal during a pandemic. And in states where indoor mask requirements have remained, customers may be less motivated to go to the store to try on frames over their masks. Not to mention the impact that COVID has on major cities - areas where Warby Parker has focused early on in their brick and mortar expansion. But since Warby Parker’s brick and mortar stores are also meant to serve a logistical purpose, having more stores that can serve customers over a greater area still serves an essential business need, even with the drop in average visits per venue. 

And, perhaps even most importantly, in September, the visits per venue metric reached 2019 levels for the first time all year, even exceeding September 2019 average visits per venue by 1.0% – despite the ongoing Delta wave. This is great news for Warby Parker as it shows that the brand’s energetic offline expansion is bringing the desired customers and validates their plans to open even more stores this year. If average visits per venue continue to hit 2019 levels despite the substantial increase in locations, Warby is well positioned to maximize this ongoing offline expansion.

First Watch’s Pandemic Jump

Like Warby Parker, First Watch has gone on a store opening spree since the start of the pandemic, with 42 new restaurants openings in fiscal 2020 and 18 more in the first half of 2021. And like Warby Parker, First Watch has seen an impressive rise in foot traffic over the past year. Summer visits rose by 23.6%, 32.4%, and 19.2% in June, July, and August when compared to the same months in 2019. And even in September, despite the overall dining downturn, year-over-two-year visits were still up by 6.2%. 

And while some of the increase in foot traffic can be attributed to new store openings, that’s only part of the story. The major jumps in visits coincided with an increase in average visits per venue, indicating that the increase in stores is meeting a ready demand. 

Over the pandemic, the breakfast, lunch, and brunch chain invested in digital solutions to manage the wait for dine-in and curbside pickup. These investments seem to have paid off, with the average number of visits per venue rising by 7.0%, 15.2%, and 5.4% compared to 2019. And although that metric fell slightly in September amids the overall dining downturn, the September decline shouldn’t be read too much into given the perspective of the chain’s strong summer performance. This is especially true considering the growing role that ‘third place’ companies should play in a work environment that is increasingly affected by work from home.

Will Warby Parker maintain its edge over 2019 visits per venue? Will visits to First Watch keep rising?

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.
Black Friday 2023 Retail Recap
Starbucks’ 2023 Holiday Menu & Red Cup Day Performance
Turkey Wednesday 2023
Who Attended the 2023 Pickleball Championship? 
Three Surprising Holiday Shopping Trends
What’s in Store for Ulta Beauty This Holiday Season?
Best Buy and Department Stores: A Holiday Deep Dive
Discount & Dollar Stores: Strength Toward The End of the Year
The State of Off-Price Retail: Discounts Seal The Deal
Placer Mall Index Recap: October 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: October 2023 Recap
Retail Corridors Ahead of the 2023 Holiday Season
California, Here Gap Comes
Checking in With Home Improvement
Getting Into the Glasses Game: Warby Parker Takes Over
Fitness Positioned for a Strong 2023 Finish
White Paper Recap: October 2023
Coffee Giants Brewing Up Business
Popeyes and Burger King Lead the Way
Diving into Yum!
Looking Ahead to Black Friday 2023
Blockbusters Drive Movie Theater Comeback
Crocs and Boot Barn: Shoe-Ins for Success
McDonald’s and Chipotle's Winning Recipe
The State Of Steak: Checking in With Texas Roadhouse
Pleasant Pastimes: Pickleball Potential Proves Potent
Who’s Driving Downtown Manhattan’s Weekend Revival?
Diving into Downtown Manhattan Foot Traffic Trends
Rite Aid: Rightsizing Right
Major League Soccer: Its Die-Hard and Casual Fans
The Anchor Recap: September 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: September 2023 Recap
Placer Mall Index Recap: September 2023
September White Paper Recap
The Consumer Habits of College Students
JCPenney: Rightsizing and Revitalizing
Pent-Up Demand Ahead of October Sales Events
4 Strategies Retailers are Using to Drive Traffic to Their Venues
5 Key Regional Grocery Players Impressing in 2023
Upscale Kitchenware Trending Up
Costco Finds More Room for Growth
Four C-Store Chains Making an A-Grade
National Parks + Outdoor Summer Activities
Diving Into Darden: Summer 2023 Update
The Summer Event Effect
Messi: Massive in Miami
Looking Back on Back to School 2023
The Anchor Recap: August 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai White Paper Recap: August 2023
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Strikes Again
Big Scoop: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sports Away: Lululemon & Nike’s Momentum Continues
Summer Visits Heat Up For Recreation and Outdoor Gear Chains
No CSS overwrite - July 2023 Office Index Recap
Staging - August 2023 Mall Indec
Mid-Atlantic Grocery Deep Dive
Experiential Chains Heating Up This Summer
Petco Goes Big by Going Small
Ulta Beauty: Leading the Discretionary Pack
Discount and Dollar Chains Continue to Thrive
Summer of Sports: DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports
Off-Price: Succeeding Into Summer
The Anchor Recap: July 2023
Superstores Maintaining Pandemic Gains Amidst Economic Headwinds
2023: Home Improvement at the Halfway Point
July 2023 Office Index Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2023 Recap
The Taylor Swift Visit Lift
Southwestern Grocery Dive
July 2023 White Paper Recap: Halfway Point Review & Quarterly Index
Yum! Brands: Driving Dining Visits
Slurpees and Summer Movies Stimulate Consumer Foot Traffic
Cool Beans: Summer Coffee Update
Checking In on Back to School 2023
Crocs and New Balance Tip The Scales
Burger Bliss: Shake Shack and In-N-Out Stacking Visits
Chipotle & McDonald's Continue to Reign Supreme
Vibenomics and Placer.ai Partner to Enhance Retail Media In-Store Measurement
California Grocers Here We Come!
Marriott’s Different Audiences
Bonchon and Kura Sushi Thrive in the Fast-Casual Scene
A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top
Cheers! Raising a Glass to Beverage Retail
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index June 2023 Recap – A Turn of the Tide and a Dive into Open-Air Lifestyle Centers
Local Kitchens: Redefining the Restaurant
Unlocking Urban Insights: The Value in Manhattan’s Employees
Ohio State Parks On The Rise
How is Inflation Impacting the High-Income Shoppers?
Five Fast-Growing Dining Chains
What To Expect From Prime Day and July Sales Events in 2023
The State Of Fashion: How Are Apparel Retailers Faring in 2023?
2023’s Latest Dining Success Story: GEN Korean BBQ House
The NBA Finals: A Location Intelligence Perspective
Moving the Market: The Impact of Domestic Migration on Housing Costs
Post-Pandemic Museum Update
The Darden-est Things
The Enduring Demand for Urban and Suburban Retail