Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

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

The Chicken Wars Victor & The Key Takeaway

by 
Ethan Chernofsky
 on 
August 26, 2019
The Chicken Wars Victor & The Key Takeaway

In a week that is turning out to be heavily focused on Chicken, we dove into the recent ‘Chicken Wars’ craze that pitted Popeyes new chicken sandwich against Chick-Fil-A. Admittedly, we expected to see a jump, as many new products and offerings can deliver a boost to in-store visits. Yet, even when there is a big social media buzz, it doesn’t always translate into action or direct results.

However, in this case, the results far surpassed our expectations. 

Establishing a Baseline

Popeyes is by no means a slouch when it comes to driving sustained interest among its audience. Looking at the restaurant’s visits compared to the baseline over the 12 month period between August 2018 and July 2019 shows a brand that has shown consistent and sustained growth. Thus far, 2019 has produced impressive results with June producing particularly strong visit rates. Yet, August is not a particularly strong time for the brand, with 2018 seeing visit rates consistently drop below the period’s baseline and 2019 visit rates trending down at the end of July.

Riding the Chicken War Wave

The relative slowness of late July and August make last week’s performance all the more impressive. On August 20th and 21st, traffic to Popeyes branches nationwide rose 67.6% and 103.3% respectively above the baseline for the summer thus far - June 1st 2019 through August 21st. This is an outrageously high peak that shows that the buzz wasn’t just on social sites, but actually pushed people out of the house and into a location.

Chick-Fil-A Context

But to truly appreciate the tremendous excitement that Popeyes created, you must make a comparison with the current King of Chicken - Chick-Fil-A. To begin, we took the same 12-month view of Chick-Fil-A. Not surprisingly, the ‘Home of the Original Chicken Sandwich’  sees a similar traffic pattern with a dip in August before a rise throughout the winter and spring.

And this provides the critical context. Not only did Popeyes see a spike during a period when a dip might be expected for their own stores. They drove a massive increase in visits when even a similar giant of the sector sees a drop. This graph compares both brands to their respective baselines for the period, so while Chick-Fil-A has many more visitors in absolute numbers, Popeyes saw huge value from the campaign.

Conclusion - Why The Chicken Wars Should Learn From Prime Day

August is not normally peak season for Chick-Fil-A or Popeyes, yet this year Popeyes shattered any realistic expectations of how good their new sandwich could perform. When we extend the analyzed period from June 1st, 2018 through August 21st of 2019, we see two days that rose 88.7% and 128.9% above the baseline for the period. These are insanely high numbers, but there are opportunities for both brands to extend this value far beyond the summer of 2019.

The build-up of excitement could be leveraged to make ‘Chicken Wars’ an annual ‘event’ that both brands could utilize. This is exactly what Amazon did with Prime Day or what Starbucks does with its myriad of deals and product releases. They see something that works and then they double down and do it even bigger the next year. Can exciting new chicken sandwiches come to mean for summer what Pumpkin Spice Lattes means for the winter? 

It’s up to these brands 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.
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
The San Francisco Shift
Grocery Year-End Update: Publix in the Spotlight
Three Ways Retailers Can Think Small to Increase Store Impact
Offline Beauty Is on an Upswing
The Evolving Migration Patterns of New York’s Florida Snowbirds
Placer.ai Office Index: November 2022 Recap
How Viral Social Media Trends Can Drive Offline Engagement
Are You Ready for Some Football? Experiential Marketing Shows Promise
Mall and Shopping Center Trends For 2023
Retail Corridors and Indoor Malls: A Holiday Head-to-Head
Placer Bytes: Nike, lululemon, and GameStop Update
Placer.ai Mall Indexes: November 2022 Update
Black Friday 2022: Consumers Hear the Call
Digitally Native Brands: Taking Off, Offline
Discount and Dollar Stores Leading the Pack
Turkey Wednesday 2022
Retail’s Evolving Holiday Season
Placer Bytes: Starbucks and Department Stores Ahead of Black Friday
Ulta: A Force to be Reckoned With
College Towns Drive Dining Growth
Foot Traffic Trends Reveal Consumers Ready for Holiday Cheer
How Retailers Can Win Big By Going Small
How Are Consumers Feeling Ahead of Black Friday 2022?
Off-Price, Hibbett, and Dick’s Pre-Holiday Check-in
Ho, Ho, Wholesale: Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s
October 2022’s Retail Rebound
Target and Walmart Ahead of the Holidays
Home Improvement: Leave it to the Pros
Despite Inflation, Holiday Season is Off to a Good Start
Placer.ai Office Index: October 2022 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Indexes- October 2022 Update
Americans Double Down on Fitness
The State of Grocery
CVS and Walgreens: The Wave Continues
Coffee Chains Brewing Up Visits
Placer.ai Spotlight: Pizza Players
What Drove COVID-Era Urban Migration Trends?
Kroger and Albertsons: A Merging of Strengths
Texas Roadhouse Innovations Dishing Up Success
Holidays on the Horizon: Mid-Range and Luxury Shopping
McDonald's and Chipotle's Post-Pandemic Success
Announcing Placer.ai’s Q3 2022 Quarterly Index
5 Hot Restaurant Brands for 2023
Target Finds a Winning Deals Day Formula
Five Trends to Watch for 2022’s Holiday Shopping Season