A Surge in Michigan

With Michigan seeing its worst COVID spikes to date and the Biden administration recommending stricter lockdown measures, we looked at our data to see how Michiganers’ foot traffic activity compared to the rest of the country using Earnest mobile geolocation data.

Visits to salons and spas were marginally higher in Michigan at -4% in the 4-weeks ending 4/17 vs -8% in the rest of the country (compared to two years prior). Gym visits, while still down compared to a normal year, were significantly higher in recent weeks in Michigan, and have steadily outpaced the rest of the country beginning in the fall of 2020. Casual dining and movie theater visits were mostly on par with the rest of the country. Seemingly, the state’s alarming rise in COVID variants and cases isn’t stopping the Wolverine state from getting back to business. 

Note: Data in this analysis looks at foot traffic growth in 2021 vs. 2019 to compare current trends with a more ‘normal’ pre-COVID period.