Who Is Winning the Chicken Wars?

Who is winning this summer's Chicken Wars? 

Foot traffic analytics platform Placer.ai has posted some results in the recent “Chicken Wars” that has pitted Popeyes’ new chicken sandwich against Chick-Fil-A. The firm compared in-store visit data and expected to see a jump due to the brand’s many new products and offerings. Placer.ai compared Popeyes’ visits to the baseline over the 12 month period between August 2018 and July 2019 and found consistent and sustained growth. Although historically, August has not been a particularly strong time for the brand, on August 20 and 21, traffic to Popeyes’ branches skyrocketed nationwide. Visits rose 67.6 percent and 103.3 percent, respectively, above the summer baseline because of the successful chicken sandwich war event. 

Visits rose 67.6 percent and 103.3 percent, respectively, above the summer baseline because of the successful chicken sandwich war event

To truly appreciate the tremendous excitement that Popeyes created with their chicken sandwich event, Placer.ai compared Popeyes’ traffic to Chick-Fil-A’s and found a similar historic traffic pattern with a dip in August before a rise throughout the winter and spring. Popeyes saw huge value from their campaign, Chick-Fil-A did not have an event and did not experience a spike.

Placer.ai suggests the brands could reap rewards from making the Chicken Wars an annual event. 

To view the entire report, click here.