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Gas prices and inflation reshuffle store traffic in early 2026

Placer.ai says higher gas costs moved consumer activity, hitting dining more than brick-and-mortar retailers, while destination retail saw some impact.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Industry

Higher gas prices, renewed inflation, and economic uncertainty weighed on consumer spending in the first half of 2026, but the hit to store traffic was not uniform, according to a white paper cited by ConnectCRE.

The Forces Shaping Consumer Traffic in 2026, produced by Placer.ai, finds that rising fuel costs reshuffled where and how people shop rather than simply slowing overall activity. Dining establishments faced more pressure than brick-and-mortar retailers, while long-distance destination retail experienced some impact.

The white paper also links store traffic growth to brands' value propositions and notes that nostalgia for early 2000s mall staples is helping certain retailers.

ConnectCRE highlights Placer.ai's observation that Barnes and Noble's continued strength in H1 2026 suggests the nostalgia trend may not have peaked yet.

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