2025’s top traffic-builders: Movie theaters, attractions, gyms
Experiences, not merchandise, drew more traffic at retail centers in 2025’s first six months.
While visits ticked down slightly at restaurants, superstores, and home improvement brands, business was brisk in movie theaters and music venues (+9.2%), attractions (+5.6%) and fitness facilities (+4.3%), according to a report from Colliers, the global commercial real estate services provider.
Chili’s, which is engaged in an aggressive worldwide expansion strategy, posted the highest traffic increase of 21.7%. Right behind it, however, were Crunch Fitness (+10.1), GameStop (+9.5%) and LA Fitness (9%).
Gym attendance has continued to grow since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, and brands such as Orangetheory, Anytime Fitness and Planet Fitness have taken advantage of the trend with ambitious expansion strategies. So have athleisure retailers the likes of Lululemon and Gymshark.
“This suggests that Americans’ commitment to health and wellness has solidified into a lasting behavioral shift rather than a temporary post-pandemic trend,” the Colliers report noted.
Apparel stores made the top 10 for traffic growth with a first-half gain of 2.6% in traffic nationwide, led by value chains such as T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s and Ross Dress for Less. Their most significant gains were posted in the western half of the United States, with new shoppers searching for bargains in Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota.
One of the most overlooked trends this year, according to Colliers, is which consumers are driving these trends. Its report sourced a working paper from the Federal Reserve which noted that current consumer resilience is being propped up by high-income households, while middle- and lower-income households are holding back on spending.
Colliers predicts that store-based retail sales will grow by about 1.5% in 2025 and will maintain a 76% share of total retail sales.
“However,” warned the report, “elevated inflation could weigh on consumer volume growth and leasing momentum in more price-sensitive segments.”
Retail categories experiencing drops in traffic in H1 2025 were drugstores & pharmacies (-2.6%), recreational & sporting goods (-2.3%), restaurants (1.6%) and home improvement (-1.4%).
