On Monday, July 19, 2021, Ice Cream brand Ben & Jerry’s announced that it will cease selling ice cream in West Bank. The announcement was followed by widespread condemnation from the Jewish community worldwide, and a stern warning from Israel’s PM to Unilever, B&J’s parent company, that there would be legal and other consequences. But what about the actual customers? How have they reacted? Looking at the recent foot traffic across all 380 Ben & Jerry’s stores that Advan Research covers, there does not seem to be a material effect on customer visits.

Gas prices and futures (contracts to buy gasoline at some point in the future) have been up massively over the last few months, to the extent that some traders are betting on the return of $100 oil/barrel before the end of the year (Options Traders Bet on Return of $100 Oil ). It was reasonable to expect that with US reopening after the pandemic we would see an increased demand in travel, and gasoline demand as a result.

The answer is: Yes and no. Road trips are back but air travel is slower to recover. Using our latest traffic pattern data, some interesting new travel trends emerged over the Memorial Day weekend (MDW) - the unofficial beginning of the summer season for many Americans on the go. We believe this pattern could be a leading indicator for consumer behavior as we move closer to Independence Day in July and the summer vacation period.

Update: well, we did not party like 2019… There were only 22,500 spectators in the Last Row party on Friday. And, per Penske’s directions, attendance was 142,000 (tickets were limited to about 135,000, plus all the support staff for the race). Although we’re certain Helio isn’t exactly disappointed about the reduced purse size. Here is to a full-on 2022! Indianapolis 500 is here and this year with proper spectators allowed!

Indianapolis 500 is here and this year with proper spectators allowed! After last year’s hiatus in proper attendance at the Brickyard, the 105th edition of 2021 appears to be back in full force. This year’s qualifying was as exciting as ever, with only 0.03mph separating the pole sitter and 2008 winner Scott Dixon, who became the 5th driver in history to secure pole position 4 times, ahead of runner-up Colton Herta, who at 21 years old is 20 years younger than Scott and almost became the youngest Indy 500 pole sitter in history!

For years, Apple has been a force to reckon with. Many retail brands have seen their share of discretionary spending lost, as consumers prefer that new iWatch to some other luxury item, be it clothing or accessory. But, is that trend here to stay? Has the consumer had enough of virtual items during the pandemic, and is sporting a new iPhone as big of a fashion statement as it used to be a couple of years ago?

One of the largest moves we have ever seen in our data is that of gas station visitors and miles driven. Americans drive more now than they ever did, pre-pandemic and all. What is the best way to trade this data? According to the analysis below, Gasoline Futures. This is the RBOB Gasoline front month index, on a year over year change basis, overlaid with Advan’s foot traffic at all US Gas Stations, also on a year over year basis.

The oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States, the Kentucky Derby had enjoyed steady growth from 2016 to 2019, but in 2020… well, we all know what happened last year. As the world opens up, it’s interesting – not just for Churchill Downs, but to understand the sentiment of all Americans – to see how the attendance at the Derby is shaping up this year. Here we are showing Advan’s measured attendance for each Thursday prior to Derby Day (traditionally the first Saturday in May) in order to compare with the last available data point: yesterday, Thursday April 29, 2021.

There is no question that a segment of retail has moved online this year. Offline (i.e.in-store) credit and debit card spending is down 15% year-over-year versus total spend according to transaction data from ConsumerEdge. Foot traffic at consumer discretionary store locations is also 20% lower year-over-year than foot traffic to production locations for consumer discretionary retailers. These parallel trends show us that foot traffic trends at store locations closely reflect offline spending, while traffic at production facilities gives us a window into total spend - both online and offline.

There’s no question that the retail sector has been hit hard this year. Foot traffic at Macy’s, which was already struggling prior to the pandemic, was down 64% last quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019. Like many of its peers, Macy’s has relied on its online business to bolster revenues during a period when many of its stores were closed. But, although overall sales have slumped, an interesting trend has emerged for those who do visit stores.