Our Mission

Learn who we are and how we serve our community

Leadership

Meet our leaders, trustees and team

Foundation

Developing the next generation of talent

C+CT

Covering the latest news and trends in the marketplaces industry

Industry Insights

Check out wide-ranging resources that educate and inspire

Government Relations & Public Policy

Learn about the governmental initiatives we support

Events

Connect with other professionals at a local, regional or national event

Virtual Series

Find webinars from industry experts on the latest topics and trends

Professional Development

Grow your skills online, in a class or at an event with expert guidance

Find Members

Access our Member Directory and connect with colleagues

ICSC Networking Platform

Get recommended matches for new business partners

Student Resources

Find tools to support your education and professional development

Become a Member

Learn about how to join ICSC and the benefits of membership

Renew Membership

Stay connected with ICSC and continue to receive membership benefits

C+CT

Dining and Nightlife Drew Consumers Back Downtown in May

June 29, 2022

Traffic slowly is returning to U.S. downtowns, despite worker resistance to returning to the office full time.

Shopper traffic in U.S. downtowns in May was down only 28% from pre-pandemic levels, according to Springboard, an improvement from April, when shopper traffic was down 32% and from the 2021 holiday season, when it was down 29%. It’s also the closest that downtown traffic has gotten to 2019 numbers since the pandemic started.

According to Springboard, consumers are visiting downtowns on weeknights instead of waiting for the weekend, largely to visit restaurants and bars. The improvement owes at least partially to some employees returning to the office. For weekdays, downtown foot traffic in April was 36% lower than 2019, and that gap narrowed to 32% in May. For weeknights, the gap was 18.5% in April and 15.7% in May.

But it’s nightlife and not a work shift that’s the biggest driver of consumers to downtowns. In May 2022, downtown shopper traffic for the evening hours was 74.9% higher than May 2021 nights, according to Springboard.

By Brannon Boswell

Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today

Small Business Center

ICSC champions small and emerging businesses in getting from business plan to brick-and-mortar.

Learn more