Traffic Was Flat In Second Quarter, NPD Reports

Restaurant visits were flat in the second quarter compared with the same quarter in 2013, the NPD Group has reported. Still, the performance represents improvement following 1% traffic declines in the fourth quarter 2014 and the first quarter this year. Chain restaurants continued to take share from independents, the data show.

Visits to major chains, those with 500 or more units, were flat during the period, while traffic at small chains, those with three to 499 restaurants rose 2%. Independent traffic counts fell 2%. Big chains account for 64% of all restaurant traffic, while small chains garner 11% of visits. The remaining 25% of visits are to independent restaurants, which have lost three share points since June 2010. Quick-service restaurants experienced a 1% gain in traffic second quarter, while midscale and casual-dining full-service concepts saw traffic decline again. QSR accounts for 79% of all traffic.

“Independents simply don’t have the resources and marketing power, and often not the business acumen, of chains,” says Bonnie Riggs, NPD Group restaurant industry analyst. “However, many independents do succeed by providing the food quality and experience consumers are looking for and by building a loyal customer base.”

Information on the NPD Group’s foodservice research products is available at npd.com.