Columbus City Foot Traffic

The average monthly foot traffic per venue for Columbus in the last 12 months was 19,216, this is a 9.8% increasefrom the previous 12 months. Though foot traffic in Columbus is increasing overall, zip code 43240 has seen a steady decrease. Gemini Place, Scioto and Lewis Center neighborhoods experienced thehighest total foot traffic for Columbus. These 3 neighborhoods constitute over 64.9% of the total foottraffic experienced from 09/01-2022-08/30/2023. Conversely, the Galena, Robertsburg, and Ostranderneighborhoods experienced the lowest total foot traffic for the same period of time.

Methodology – Columbus foot traffic data was pulled from the Foot Traffic Trend Value module on a monthlybasis. The metric Person Count was averaged by zip code by month and simple linear regression was appliedto generate trend lines for Foot Traffic. When visualizing the data, the total foot traffic by zip code was plottedon a map and colored by total foot traffic. To analyze specific points of interest, data is aggregated at theCensus Block Group geographic level. Additionally, Census Track level data can be used to investigate the surrounding area to any point(s) of interest.

Columbus saw the highest average monthly foot traffic (20,935) July 2022 through December 2022 with September 2021 having the lowest average foot traffic of 15,214 average visitors. December 2022 hadthe highest average foot traffic (24,953) for the total time frame analyzed (06/01/2021-08/30/2023). When considering only the past 12 months, the foot traffic pattern changes displaying increased seasonality. Further analysis would provide insights into this change in visitor behavior.

Visualized here at the month and quarter level, foot traffic data is available for hourly, daily, weekly, monthly,quarterly, and yearly trending. Analysis of daily and hourly foot traffic patterns can help optimize operationalhours as well as establish specific high traffic days for any given location.

Methodology - The metric Person Count was summed by zip code by month to generate Foot Traffic. To analyze change in foot traffic by quarter, Person Count was summed by zip code by quarter and the percentchange was calculated between quarters.

Utilizing the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes available in the foot traffic trend value module, consumers can gain valuable insights on 86 unique industry sectors found in Columbus. The top industries include: General Merchandise Stores, Supermarkets, Movie Theaters, Hardware Stores, and Children’s Clothing Stores. While the industry specific foot traffic patterns generally mirror the overall foot traffic pattern of Columbus, there is a notable difference in the hardware store industry. While the foot traffic trend in Columbus is decreasing, the hardware store industry is experiencing an increase in average monthly foot traffic. Additionally, there was a larger than expected increase in foot traffic in the hardware store industry in April 2023. Deeper analysis of foot traffic data for specific brands in the hardware store industry could illuminate potential causes for this uptick.

Methodology – The NAICS codes were grouped to create broader Industry level classifications. The Person Count metric was then averaged by industry by month to calculate foot traffic. The data was then visualized forindividual industries.

Foot Traffic data is available for 536 unique brands in Columbus allowing consumers to create detailed brand analysis as well as head-to-head comparisons between two or more brands. The most highly trafficked brands in Columbus include: Kroger, McDonald’s, Meijer, Starbucks, and Wendy’s.Taking a deeper dive into the foot traffic data available for the 16 Starbucks locations in Columbus, we find that 25% or 4 locations are experiencing an increase in foot traffic. For the time period 09/01/2022-08/30/2023, Scioto has the highest average foot traffic pattern with 36,588 visits per month. The Gemini Place area had the highest total foot traffic for Columbus Starbucks locations with 1,453,462 visits. This can be explained by the zip code 43240 being home to 4 Starbucks locations in total. The total foot trafficat the 697 N. Cleveland Ave location is decreasing, it is the most visited Starbucks boasting approximately 15.6% of all Starbucks foot traffic in Columbus. Conversely, the 400 South Wilson Road locationaccounts for only 0.22% of the total Columbus Starbucks foot traffic.

Methodology – The Columbus data was filtered to only consider the brand Starbucks. The metric Person Count was summed by zip code by month to calculate Foot Traffic. To analyze change in Foot Traffic by quarter, Person Count was summed by zip code by quarter and the percent change was calculated betweenquarters. For location level data, Person Count was summed by Street Address. Foot Traffic Percentage wascalculated by taking the sum of foot traffic for street address and dividing the resulting value by the total Foot Traffic for Columbus in the selected date range.

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