The impact of colleges and universities on local business 2020:
Boise State University
Colleges and universities are everywhere. Big cities, small towns, in every corner of the United States, there’s bound to be a degree-offering institution nearby. And, subsequently, a whole lot of students nearby as well.
There are an estimated 18 to 20 million students enrolled in public and private colleges in America today. And in many communities, those students make up a huge portion of the local economy.
In this groundbreaking study, we analyzed data at local businesses in Boise to see what kind of impact major events during the school year at Boise State University has on local businesses.
NOTE: You can view other industries by selecting them from the dropdown at the top of each section in this report
The average year at local businesses in Boise
Select an industry:
Before we examine major school year events like spring break and the college football season, let’s take a look at the year as a whole.
Annual sales at restaurants in Boise from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
3/9/19 |
3/30/19 March Madness |
2/23/19 |
4/13/19 |
2/16/19 President's Day Weekend |
| Saturday | Saturday | Saturday | Saturday | Saturday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Boise restaurants. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at restaurants in Boise than on any other day of the year.
Before we examine major school year events like spring break and the college football season, let’s take a look at the year as a whole.
Annual sales at bars in Boise from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
11/30/19 Football Small Business Saturday |
7/13/19 |
12/14/19 |
4/6/19 March Madness |
4/27/19 |
| Saturday | Saturday | Saturday | Saturday | Saturday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Boise bars. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at bars in Boise than on any other day of the year.
Before we examine major school year events like spring break and the college football season, let’s take a look at the year as a whole.
Annual sales at retail shops in Boise from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
5/1/19 |
6/28/19 |
12/23/19 |
9/3/19 |
5/10/19 Finals Week Mother's Day Weekend |
| Wednesday | Friday | Monday | Tuesday | Friday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Boise retail shops. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at retail shops in Boise than on any other day of the year.
Spring Break
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As the weather warms up and students get to take the week off, how are local restaurants around Boise State University impacted by spring break?
Do enough students leave town to see sales dip? Or do sales go up with an influx of vacationing students? We crunched the numbers to find out:
| Avg. revenue: spring break | Avg. transactions: spring break | Avg. ticket price: spring break |
| +5% vs avg day |
+15% vs avg day |
-8% vs avg day |
| +2% vs avg day during March |
+15% vs avg day during March |
-10% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, restaurants in and around Boise earned 5% more than an average day throughout the year, and 3% more than on an average day during the month of march.
Spring break was the number 25 week of the year for Boise restaurants. Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue went up or down throughout the week of spring break.
As the weather warms up and students get to take the week off, how are local bars around Boise State University impacted by spring break?
Do enough students leave town to see sales dip? Or do sales go up with an influx of vacationing students? We crunched the numbers to find out:
| Avg. revenue: spring break | Avg. transactions: spring break | Avg. ticket price: spring break |
| -20% vs avg day |
-22% vs avg day |
+2% vs avg day |
| +6% vs avg day during March |
+1% vs avg day during March |
+4% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, bars in and around Boise earned 21% less than an average day throughout the year, and 6% more than on an average day during the month of march.
As the weather warms up and students get to take the week off, how are local retail shops around Boise State University impacted by spring break?
Do enough students leave town to see sales dip? Or do sales go up with an influx of vacationing students? We crunched the numbers to find out:
| Avg. revenue: spring break | Avg. transactions: spring break | Avg. ticket price: spring break |
| +5% vs avg day |
+4% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
| +11% vs avg day during March |
+7% vs avg day during March |
+4% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, retail shops in and around Boise earned 5% more than an average day throughout the year, and 12% more than on an average day during the month of march.
March Madness
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March Madness is easily one of the biggest sporting events of the year across the United States. And you’d assume that would go double for college towns.
But does the fervor surrounding the Big Dance translate to big sales numbers for restaurants around Boise State University?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at restaurants in Boise on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Boise experienced on similar days of the week during the rest of the year.
Throughout the entire tournamment, on days when games were being played, restaurants earned 16% more than on similar days. Examine the chart above to see how revenue was impacted during each round of the tournament
March Madness was actually so big for Boise restaurants, that one of their top five days of the year were during the tournament.
March Madness is easily one of the biggest sporting events of the year across the United States. And you’d assume that would go double for college towns.
But does the fervor surrounding the Big Dance translate to big sales numbers for bars around Boise State University?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at bars in Boise on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Boise experienced on similar days of the week during the rest of the year.
Throughout the entire tournamment, on days when games were being played, bars earned 2% less than on similar days. Examine the chart above to see how revenue was impacted during each round of the tournament
March Madness was actually so big for Boise bars, that one of their top five days of the year were during the tournament.
March Madness is easily one of the biggest sporting events of the year across the United States. And you’d assume that would go double for college towns.
But does the fervor surrounding the Big Dance translate to big sales numbers for retail shops around Boise State University?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at retail shops in Boise on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Boise experienced on similar days of the week during the rest of the year.
Throughout the entire tournamment, on days when games were being played, retail shops earned 12% more than on similar days. Examine the chart above to see how revenue was impacted during each round of the tournament
Finals Week
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The end of spring semester is perhaps the most-anticipated time of the year for college students around the country.
When final exams are in the rear window, do students celebrate by spending at local businesses? Does the extra revenue of family members visiting to attend commencement make a difference?
Let's find out.
Note: finals week and commencement fell during Mother’s Day weekend at Boise State University in 2019, which likely made a significant impact on local businesses in Boise as well. Particularly restaurants (Mother's Day weekend was responsible for the top day of the year for restaurants across the country).
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| +4% vs avg day |
+8% vs avg day |
-3% vs avg day |
| +3% vs avg day during May |
+0% vs avg day during May |
+3% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, restaurants in and around Boise earned 5% more than an average day throughout the year, and 3% more than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 6 week of the year for Boise restaurants. Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue was impacted throughout the week of finals.
The end of spring semester is perhaps the most-anticipated time of the year for college students around the country.
When final exams are in the rear window, do students celebrate by spending at local businesses? Does the extra revenue of family members visiting to attend commencement make a difference?
Let's find out.
Note: finals week and commencement fell during Mother’s Day weekend at Boise State University in 2019, which likely made a significant impact on local businesses in Boise as well.
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| +1% vs avg day |
+1% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
| +0% vs avg day during May |
-2% vs avg day during May |
+2% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, bars in and around Boise earned 2% more than an average day throughout the year, and 0% more than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 15 week of the year for Boise bars. Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue was impacted throughout the week of finals.
The end of spring semester is perhaps the most-anticipated time of the year for college students around the country.
When final exams are in the rear window, do students celebrate by spending at local businesses? Does the extra revenue of family members visiting to attend commencement make a difference?
Let's find out.
Note: finals week and commencement fell during Mother’s Day weekend at Boise State University in 2019, which likely made a significant impact on local businesses in Boise as well.
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| +11% vs avg day |
+12% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
| +8% vs avg day during May |
+11% vs avg day during May |
-2% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, retail shops in and around Boise earned 12% more than an average day throughout the year, and 9% more than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 3 week of the year for Boise retail shops. Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue was impacted throughout the week of finals.
Back to School
Select an industry:
As summer ends and students come flocking back to Boise State University, do local restaurants see a major boost in sales?
Here's what we learned
| Avg. revenue: back to school | Avg. transactions: back to school | Avg. ticket price: back to school |
| -4% vs avg day |
+2% vs avg day |
-6% vs avg day |
| -17% vs avg day during August |
-7% vs avg day during August |
-10% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at Boise State University saw Boise restaurants earn 4% less than an average day throughout the year, and 18% less than on an average day during the month of August.
Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue at restaurants were impacted during the first week of classes at Boise State University. (Classes resumed on Monday, August 26)
As summer ends and students come flocking back to Boise State University, do local bars see a major boost in sales?
Here's what we learned
| Avg. revenue: back to school | Avg. transactions: back to school | Avg. ticket price: back to school |
| +0% vs avg day |
-2% vs avg day |
+3% vs avg day |
| +17% vs avg day during August |
+11% vs avg day during August |
+4% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at Boise State University saw Boise bars earn 0% more than an average day throughout the year, and 17% more than on an average day during the month of August.
Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue at bars were impacted during the first week of classes at Boise State University. (Classes resumed on Monday, August 26)
As summer ends and students come flocking back to Boise State University, do local retail shops see a major boost in sales?
Here's what we learned
| Avg. revenue: back to school | Avg. transactions: back to school | Avg. ticket price: back to school |
| -13% vs avg day |
-6% vs avg day |
-7% vs avg day |
| -2% vs avg day during August |
-2% vs avg day during August |
+0% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at Boise State University saw Boise retail shops earn 14% less than an average day throughout the year, and 2% less than on an average day during the month of August.
Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue at retail shops were impacted during the first week of classes at Boise State University. (Classes resumed on Monday, August 26)
Football
Select an industry:
In most parts of the country, the college football season is the highlight of the year for students and locals alike.
But does college football fever in Boise translate to big bucks for local businesses?
Let’s take a look at the numbers:
| Avg. revenue: Saturdays during football |
Avg. transactions: Saturdays during football |
Avg. ticket price: Saturdays during football |
| -21% vs avg Saturday |
-30% vs avg Saturday |
+13% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Boise restaurants earned 22% less than an average Saturday during the rest of the year.
In most parts of the country, the college football season is the highlight of the year for students and locals alike.
But does college football fever in Boise translate to big bucks for local businesses?
Let’s take a look at the numbers:
| Avg. revenue: Saturdays during football |
Avg. transactions: Saturdays during football |
Avg. ticket price: Saturdays during football |
| -8% vs avg Saturday |
-5% vs avg Saturday |
-3% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Boise bars earned 8% less than an average Saturday during the rest of the year.
In fact, college football was big enough for bars in Boise that 3 of the top 10 days of the year were during college football weekends.
In most parts of the country, the college football season is the highlight of the year for students and locals alike.
But does college football fever in Boise translate to big bucks for local businesses?
Let’s take a look at the numbers:
| Avg. revenue: Saturdays during football |
Avg. transactions: Saturdays during football |
Avg. ticket price: Saturdays during football |
| -6% vs avg Saturday |
-8% vs avg Saturday |
+3% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Boise retail shops earned 6% less than an average Saturday during the rest of the year.
In fact, college football was big enough for retail shops in Boise that 3 of the top 10 days of the year were during college football weekends.
Of course, there is some overlap between the college football season and the holiday shopping season, which is also huge for local retail shops around the country.
Summmer and Holiday Breaks
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Finally, we wanted to look at the two times of year when school is out and many students head home during the break.
Do the summer and holiday breaks result in a dip in sales for restaurants around Boise State University?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| +0% vs avg day |
+5% vs avg day |
-5% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Boise restaurants earned 0% more than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| +5% vs avg day |
+15% vs avg day |
-8% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Boise restaurants earned 5% more than the annual average.
Finally, we wanted to look at the two times of year when school is out and many students head home during the break.
Do the summer and holiday breaks result in a dip in sales for bars around Boise State University?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| +0% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
+1% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Boise bars earned 0% more than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| -20% vs avg day |
-22% vs avg day |
+2% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Boise bars earned 21% less than the annual average.
Finally, we wanted to look at the two times of year when school is out and many students head home during the break.
Do the summer and holiday breaks result in a dip in sales for retail shops around Boise State University?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| +0% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Boise retail shops earned 1% more than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| +5% vs avg day |
+4% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Boise retail shops earned 5% more than the annual average.
Methodology
Womply analyzed daily revenue for over 41,000 retail shops, 36,000 restaurants, 4,000 lodging places, and 2,200 bars, in all 50 states, for all 365 days of the 2019 calendar year. Businesses were only included in the analysis if they qualified as small businesses, Womply had a full year of transaction history, and the business recorded multiple transactions per day, on average.