Placer.ai: Walmart riding ‘wave of strength’ amid store traffic increases
Walmart Inc. and Target Corp. both have new leaders at the helm but their respective companies are in very different positions as the new year progresses.
Walmart is riding a wave of strength, supported by positive store visit trends and solid comparable sales growth, while Target continues to struggle to regain momentum amid softer demand, according to a new report from Placer.ai.
The retail giant ended its fourth quarter with visits up 2.3% year over year and momentum carrying into January 2026 (helped in part by an additional Saturday on the calendar), with visits up 4.1%.
Walmart’s recent performance puts new CEO John Furner, is in a position of strength. Traffic and sales gains support his focus on value, digital growth and higher-margin revenue streams such as advertising, although maintaining store performance and margins will be critical as those efforts scale, the report said.
Target
At Target, now under the leadership of former COO Michael Fiddelke, year over year visits declined in every month except October, and fourth quarter visits were down 2.0%. Traffic ticked up in January 2026, but the improvement was likely influenced at least in part by the extra Saturday and should be interpreted cautiously, noted Placer.ai.
“For Target, the data suggests that a sustained recovery will depend on the effectiveness of Fiddelke’s turnaround strategy, which centers on sharper merchandising curation and improvements to the guest experience,” the report said.
[READ MORE: Target’s new CEO outlines four priorities as he takes reins]
Weekend Traffic
Walmart posted relatively consistent visit trends across weekdays and weekends in 2025, reinforcing the resilience of its essentials-driven model, noted Placer.ai. Target, however, saw its steepest declines on weekends in 2025, suggesting that discretionary trips remain the key hurdle for the retailer’ recovery.
Walmart will release its fourth quarter earnings on Feb. 19. Target’s fourth quarter earnings are estimated to be released on March 3, based its past reporting schedule.
