The consumer behaviors behind today's strongest retail trends and what they mean for retailers, landlords, and shopping centers.

Retail traffic is telling a very different story than most headlines suggest.

According to Ethan Chernofsky, Chief Marketing Officer at Placer.ai, consumers aren't abandoning stores. They're redefining how they use them.

One of the biggest shifts is happening inside everyday shopping trips. Consumers are visiting more retailers within the same category, particularly grocery, while spending less time in each store. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, retailers with a clearly defined value proposition are winning over today's more intentional shopper.

Chris Ressa and Ethan explore why physical retail has become more valuable, not less. While ecommerce remains an essential part of the customer journey, stores are becoming even more important as fulfillment hubs, discovery engines, and places where brands can build lasting customer relationships. Stores remain the most profitable channel for many retailers while often delivering the best value for consumers. That alignment creates a powerful long term advantage that extends well beyond convenience.

Even mall traffic continues to surprise analysts, especially among younger shoppers. Gen Z is proving that physical retail still serves an important social function, reinforcing the growing importance of placemaking and creating destinations people actually want to visit.

Whether it's Starbucks extending pumpkin spice season, Dairy Queen creating a spring traffic surge with Free Cone Day, or retailers capitalizing on major cultural moments, the lesson is clear: great operators don't simply react to consumer behavior, they influence it.

For retailers, landlords, and anyone watching the future of physical commerce, the message is simple: stores matter more than ever. The retailers and shopping centers that understand changing consumer behavior, and respond with intentional experiences, convenience, and operational excellence, will be the ones that continue to outperform.

• Why the smartest retailers create demand instead of waiting for it
• The surprising shift in how consumers are shopping today
• Why physical stores are becoming more valuable, not less
• How Starbucks and Dairy Queen turn ordinary days into traffic drivers
• Why Gen Z is spending more time at malls
• The comeback stories proving great brands are hard to beat

00:00 – Meet Ethan Chernofsky

How Placer.ai uses location data to understand consumer behavior.

01:08 – The new rules of retail traffic

Why shoppers are making more trips while spending less time in stores.

04:58 – Why physical stores keep winning

The overlooked value physical retail creates for retailers and consumers alike.

09:41 – Discovery still happens in stores

Why the in-store experience continues to drive purchases and loyalty.

12:13 – Gen Z is bringing malls back

What younger shoppers reveal about the future of placemaking.

13:42 – Convenience vs. placemaking

When retailers should prioritize speed—and when they should encourage longer visits.

17:19 – Retail lessons from around the world

How culture shapes shopping behavior across global markets.

18:45 – Back-to-school traffic winners

The retailers and brands positioned to benefit this season.

20:48 – How great retailers create demand

What Starbucks, Dairy Queen, and other brands can teach every retailer.

23:24 – The traffic stories nobody saw coming

Unexpected trends shaping home improvement and retail performance.

26:12 – Never count out great brands

Why Target, Starbucks, and other leaders continue to find their way back.

27:23 – Looking ahead

What today's traffic trends could mean for the holiday shopping season.