Discount Retailers Saw Significant Growth in Store Visits
Analysis of shopping patterns reveals notable gains for value-oriented retailers over the past year.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Retail
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Discount retailers and chains focused on physical shopping experiences reported double-digit growth in foot traffic. Data indicates consumers increasingly favored value-oriented stores over the past twelve-month period.
Why it matters
The surge suggests that shoppers remain focused on affordability and tactile discovery in physical retail spaces. This trend highlights the ongoing appeal of discount outlets in the current economic environment.
Five Below led growth with a 17.1% increase in overall store visits, followed by Ollie's Bargain Outlet at 17.0% and Bass Pro Shops at 16.5%. Per-store visits also rose significantly, including a 14.8% jump at Staples and 12.2% at Citi Trends.
The players
Placer.ai
This company specializes in location analytics and provides foot traffic data for physical retail businesses.
Five Below
This is a publicly traded specialty discount retailer that caters primarily to tweens and teens.
The details
Retail analytics firm Placer.ai tracked store visit patterns to compare consumer behavior against the previous year. Chains offering value and hands-on discovery experiences saw consistent performance gains across multiple sectors.
Timeline
The retail data covers the period from August 2025 to July 2026.
Market Landscape
This performance trend aligns with the Placer.ai retail shopping patterns index, which has documented a sustained shift toward value-focused brick-and-mortar destinations. The data underscores an environment where discount retailers are successfully capturing greater market share from traditional competitors.
Shoppers may find increased traffic at these discount locations, potentially affecting product availability and checkout wait times during peak hours. Consumers focused on budget-friendly purchases are likely to see continued investment in value-driven inventory at these stores.
The takeaway
Retailers that successfully combine value pricing with a unique in-store discovery experience are currently winning the consumer attention battle. Customers looking to stretch their budgets may benefit from tracking which specific chains are prioritizing these low-cost inventory expansions.
Further reading
For more on evolving consumer habits, explore the Retail section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chain Store Age.
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Are you choosing discount retailers more often than last year for your household purchases?
