Five years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer behavior patterns are still evolving as customers seek value and quality. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry has fundamentally changed and hybrid work has permanently reshaped office utilization, according to a Placer.ai study, which found six trends defining post-pandemic consumer behavior based on foot traffic patterns.
Notably, the appetite for offline retail and dining is stronger than ever, with both retail and dining visits coming in higher during the first half of 2025 than they did before the pandemic, said the report. This increase is likely driven by significant expansions among major players, including Costco, Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s and Dutch Bros that have offset numerous retail and dining closures.
Consumers are also more willing to go out of their way or visit multiple chains for quality products and brands, said the report.
“It seems, then, that many consumers are no longer looking for a one-stop-shop where they can buy everything at once,” Placer.ai wrote. “Instead, shoppers may be heading to the grocery stores for some things, the dollar store for other items, and the wholesale club for a third set of products.”
Value and value perception are giving discount and dollar stores, value grocery stores, and off-price apparel a clear advantage with shoppers facing inflation, recession concerns, gas price spikes and tariffs. Dollar General and Dollar Tree both have announced aggressive expansion strategies, and year-over-year trends show that the visit growth is still ongoing, indicating that the demand for value has not yet reached a ceiling, said the report.
But value alone doesn’t ensure success. Beauty and wellness chains, for example, have seen traffic plateau despite relatively affordable price points. Some of this decline stems from consumers cutting discretionary spending. However, a surge in visits to off-brand apparel retailers highlights the importance of value perception, as these stores are associated with savings, while beauty brands and drugstores lack value-driven brand positioning.
Consumer behavior has bifurcated toward budget and premium options, putting pressure on middle-market players. The report found mid-market apparel retailers are underperforming luxury and off-price retailers. Dining traffic trends are also bifurcated, with QSR, fast casual and coffee chains, as well as upscale and fine dining establishments. expanding significantly over the past five years, while the casual dining sector has seen its footprint shrink.
Some Americans are no longer prioritizing experiences in the first half of 2025, choosing instead to spend their budgets in retail and dining venues, according to Placer.ai. Airport traffic trends suggest lower casual travel, and movie theater traffic is volatile. Museum traffic has stabilized since the pandemic.
Finally, hybrid work has permanently reshaped office utilization, with visits to office buildings 33.3% below 2019 levels despite return-to-office efforts. The study noted some good news on the RTO front, as year-over-year visits nationwide are up 2.1% and most offices are seeing visits increase.
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