Is it really the best time to be a nerd? We’re doing the nerdy thing and taking a look into the data to see if the claims of nerd culture rising in popularity are really true and, if so, which stores and places are pockets of nerdom and which brands are seeing the most benefit to foot traffic.
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Jump to:
- Growing subculture
- Q2 foot traffic analysis
- Newbury Comics
- Games Workshop
- Warhammer
- Game Stop
- Game X Change
- Barcade
- Dan Diego Comic Con
Foot traffic analysis: a growing sub culture
Data from pass_by of foot traffic from the last five years reveals that nerd culture in general has seen consistent growth across America. The pandemic did hit this section of the market, particularly in events such as Comic Con, and retailers like Warhammer when consumers could no longer gather in groups.
Since the pandemic, however, visits have grown or at the very least remained consistent on average–the one exception being some game stores which are struggling to compete against e-commerce.
What the rest of the retail industry can learn from the rise of nerd culture is how understanding the strength of community and consumer behavior can work to build out an industry worth billions of dollars and maintain a retail industry in a tough, ever-changing environment.
Key findings
- In 2024, the revenue from the worldwide gaming market was estimated at almost 455 billion U.S. Dollars. In 2023, the revenue of the video games industry in the United States alone amounted to 106 billion U.S. Dollars.
- In San Diego, visits to quick service restaraunts were up +11.9% year-on-year during July 2022, spiking in areas around the San Diego Convention Centre, showing recovery from COVID and consistent growth since.
- Warhammer visits peaked in 2021-2022, but have maintained a loyal customer base since. Foot traffic visits in September 2022 increased by +44.5% year-on-year from 2021.
- Game Stop visits increased in Q2 2025 year on year by over 6%.
- Visits to Barcade dropped by over -12% in Q1 2025, likely due to the rising trend of Dry January.
Q2 2025 foot traffic performance data
The most recent quarter of 2025 was a mixed bag for retailers with some emerging victorious while others await holidays and better sale periods to see a boost. See foot traffic data below for Q2 2025, or keeping scrolling to see a full analysis of the past few years.
Retailer foot traffic analysis: brand by brand
While nerd culture as a whole has benefited from increased interest, some retailers are getting more visitors consistently than others, some have grown but have peaked, and others are struggling against e-commerce. Our brand analysis offers a more in-depth look into how some retailers are performing in the space.
Newbury Comics
This comic book chain with over 25 stores in the US has seen visits remain consistent, for the most part, year-on-year from 2024 to 2025 with a drop of only -0.76%. Some more recent quarters such as Q4 2024 (-2.04%) and Q1 2025 (-1.87%) have been a little more volitale, particularly during the weeks surrending Christmas.
It does appear that part of this chain’s struggle, and many like it, is the rise of e-commerce. It can be more convienient for consumers to piurchase comics online and have it delivered, rather than needing to go to the store.
One of the chains major successes has been its Boston stores, which according to our data, are up +1.1% and +0.28% in our Place Index (when benchmarked against their local market). Boston being a walkable city and the store locations may give these stores an edge compared to others.
Games Workshop
Games Workshop has had its ups and downs in the past five years. Visits dropped dramatically in 2020, when the pandemic was at its height, as fewer people than ever were visiting in-store. This trend wasn’t unique to Games Workshop, but during the time when many were at home playing games, Games Workshop was unable to reap many of the benefits of the increased interest in the hobby.
More recent times have been more kind to this chain as more consumers have returned to in-store spending and game store community events. Visits in Q4 2024 remained steady (+1.10%) year-on-year and Q2 2025 has had a good amount of growth (+2.96%).
Warhammer
Visits to Warhammer largely increased from 2021 to 2022. Visits in September 2022 increased by +44.5% year-on-year from 2021. Since then, Warhammer stores have maintained a level of interest, but seemed to have peaked from that period in 2021-2022.
December is a particularly active month for this chain with Warhammer stores experiencing over 700,000 visits in December 2024 alone – a similar number to its 2023 and 2022 performance.
Game Stop
More recent quarters have been easier on Game Stop. Visits slowed across Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 as consumers turned to online retailers for more convience. But Q2 2025 has been a marked improvement year on year with a boost of over 6% to store visits.
One of Game Stop’s best performing stores, accoring to our Place Index which benchmarks stores against its local market, is loacted in Chicago along a strip mall nestled between a Bank of Amerca and a chicken wing restaurant. The store benefits from its convienient location in the city.
Read more: The future of shopping malls
Game X Change
With over 100 stores in the USA, Game X Change allows customers to sell and buy video games, DVDS, and tech products. It’s best performing store according to our Place Index (which benchmarks a store against its local area) in the last year was its store in Rogers, Arkansas – performing at +5.42%.
Like many retailers, the total number of visits to Game X Change peak in Q4 and this has been consistent in the past few years. Visits to this chain normally dip in the middle of the year, but the retailer has improved year-on-year consistently in the last few quarters of 2024.
Barcade
This arcade-themed bar chain has around 10 stores across the states. Our data shows Dry January has a large impact on visits with foot traffic dropping by over -12% in Q1 2025 year-on-year as leaving alcohol behind becomes a growing trend.
For various economic and social reasons, bars in general have had a tough time. But even Barcades top performing locations are struggling to gain traction. According to our data, even Barcades top location in New Haven is down -3.87% in our Place Index (which benchmarks retail locations against its local area).
Read more: American health trends + foot traffic data
San Diego Comic Con
Taking place in July every year, San Diego Comic Con is a large event that brings a lot of visitors into the city. Quick service restaraunts and hotels both see a big boost from these customers.
Big events like San Diego Comic Con always have an impact on foot traffic and consumer spend. In July 2024, foot traffic was heavily concentrated around the harbor and convention center. Particularly, Starbucks, the Hilton hotel, and nearby restaraunts all were heavy pockets of traffic during this time.
The pandemic had a massive impact on visits, but recovery came from July 2022. Visits to quick service restaraunts were up 11.9% year-on-year, showing people were out shopping again and more tourists were visiting.
Analyzing the entire area, the most popular places to visit outside the convention centre in July are:
- The Taco Stand
- McDonald’s
- Chevron
Overall, our data shows San Diego Comic Con has increased in visits over the past five years. The COVID pandemic was a blow, but it’s one it has seemed to have recovered from and the city can continue to expect more visits over the weekend of its event.
Read more: Most popular fast food chains in America + foot traffic data
What the future looks like
It’s evident that nerdom isn’t just a subculture—it’s a thriving ecosystem constantly evolving in today’s retail landscape.
While foot traffic at key locations like Game Stop, Newbury Comics, and niche spaces such as Barcade and Games Workshop, show considerable growth, dual pressures shape their reality. These retailers successfully attract and engage consumers with in-store experiences and unique product offerings, yet they battle the relentless rise of e-commerce. The shift toward online shopping is impacting traditional brick-and-mortar stores, prompting an overdue adaptation to new consumer buying behaviors.
E-commerce platforms provide unparalleled convenience, competitive pricing, and broad selections, posing significant challenges to physical stores. Meanwhile, conventions like San Diego Comic-Con provide an unmistakable glimpse into nerdom’s vibrant cultural relevance, offering attendees an immersive experience, far beyond any online counterpart.
