The impact of colleges and universities on local business 2020:
University at Buffalo
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 Buffalo to see what kind of impact major events during the school year at the University at Buffalo 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 Buffalo
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 Buffalo from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
5/18/19 Finals Week |
5/12/19 Mother's Day |
4/6/19 March Madness |
3/15/19 |
10/26/19 Football |
| Saturday | Sunday | Saturday | Friday | Saturday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Buffalo restaurants. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at restaurants in Buffalo 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 Buffalo from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
2/23/19 |
2/9/19 |
3/17/19 St. Patrick's Day |
3/2/19 |
3/30/19 March Madness |
| Saturday | Saturday | Sunday | Saturday | Saturday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Buffalo bars. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at bars in Buffalo 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 lodging places in Buffalo from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
7/28/19 |
9/22/19 |
7/21/19 |
8/4/19 |
5/19/19 Finals Week |
| Sunday | Sunday | Sunday | Sunday | Sunday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Buffalo lodging places. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at lodging places in Buffalo 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 Buffalo from week-to-week.
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 |
|
1/4/19 |
5/10/19 Mother's Day Weekend |
3/23/19 Spring Break |
5/11/19 Mother's Day Weekend |
2/14/19 Valentine's Day |
| Friday | Friday | Saturday | Saturday | Thursday |
Above are the top five days of the year for Buffalo retail shops. This means that on these days, more total dollars were spent at retail shops in Buffalo than on any other day of the year.
Spring Break
Select an industry:
As the weather warms up and students get to take the week off, how are local restaurants around the University at Buffalo 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 |
| +1% vs avg day |
+1% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
| +32% vs avg day during March |
+29% vs avg day during March |
+2% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, restaurants in and around Buffalo earned 2% more than an average day throughout the year, and 32% more than on an average day during the month of march.
Spring break was the number 20 week of the year for Buffalo 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 the University at Buffalo 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 |
| +40% vs avg day |
+27% vs avg day |
+10% vs avg day |
| +11% vs avg day during March |
+17% vs avg day during March |
-5% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, bars in and around Buffalo earned 41% more than an average day throughout the year, and 11% 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 lodging places around the University at Buffalo 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 |
| -30% vs avg day |
-14% vs avg day |
-19% vs avg day |
| +13% vs avg day during March |
+27% vs avg day during March |
-11% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, lodging places in and around Buffalo earned 31% less than an average day throughout the year, and 13% 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 the University at Buffalo 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 |
| +10% vs avg day |
-7% vs avg day |
+19% vs avg day |
| +37% vs avg day during March |
+23% vs avg day during March |
+11% vs avg day during March |
During the week of spring break, retail shops in and around Buffalo earned 10% more than an average day throughout the year, and 37% more than on an average day during the month of march.
March Madness
Select an industry:
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 the University at Buffalo?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at restaurants in Buffalo on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Buffalo 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 9% 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 Buffalo 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 the University at Buffalo?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at bars in Buffalo on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Buffalo 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 69% 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 Buffalo 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 lodging places around the University at Buffalo?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at lodging places in Buffalo on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Buffalo experienced on similar days of the week during the rest of the year.
Throughout the entire tournamment, on days when games were being played, lodging places earned 33% less than on similar days. Examine the chart above to see how revenue was impacted during each round of 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 the University at Buffalo?
To find out, we analyzed revenue at retail shops in Buffalo on game days for each round of the tournament and compared it to the average revenue those Buffalo 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 22% 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 Buffalo retail shops, that one of their top five days of the year were during the tournament.
Finals Week
Select an industry:
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.
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| +10% vs avg day |
+9% vs avg day |
+1% vs avg day |
| +7% vs avg day during May |
+6% vs avg day during May |
+1% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, restaurants in and around Buffalo earned 11% more than an average day throughout the year, and 8% more than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 2 week of the year for Buffalo 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.
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| -11% vs avg day |
-4% vs avg day |
-7% vs avg day |
| -15% vs avg day during May |
-8% vs avg day during May |
-6% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, bars in and around Buffalo earned 12% less than an average day throughout the year, and 15% less than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 22 week of the year for Buffalo 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.
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| +13% vs avg day |
+6% vs avg day |
+6% vs avg day |
| +37% vs avg day during May |
+19% vs avg day during May |
+15% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, lodging places in and around Buffalo earned 14% more than an average day throughout the year, and 37% more than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 13 week of the year for Buffalo lodging places. 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.
| Avg. revenue: finals | Avg. transactions: finals | Avg. ticket price: finals |
| +12% vs avg day |
+10% vs avg day |
+2% vs avg day |
| +1% vs avg day during May |
-9% vs avg day during May |
+11% vs avg day during May |
During the week of final exams, retail shops in and around Buffalo earned 13% more than an average day throughout the year, and 2% more than on an average day during the months of April and May.
Finals week was the number 3 week of the year for Buffalo 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 the University at Buffalo, 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 |
+4% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
| +7% vs avg day during August |
+8% vs avg day during August |
+0% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at the University at Buffalo saw Buffalo restaurants earn 4% more than an average day throughout the year, and 8% more 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 the University at Buffalo. (Classes resumed on Monday, August 26)
As summer ends and students come flocking back to the University at Buffalo, 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 |
| -9% vs avg day |
+7% vs avg day |
-16% vs avg day |
| -45% vs avg day during August |
-25% vs avg day during August |
-26% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at the University at Buffalo saw Buffalo bars earn 10% less than an average day throughout the year, and 45% less 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 the University at Buffalo. (Classes resumed on Monday, August 26)
As summer ends and students come flocking back to the University at Buffalo, do local lodging places 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 |
| +28% vs avg day |
+23% vs avg day |
+3% vs avg day |
| +48% vs avg day during August |
+30% vs avg day during August |
+13% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at the University at Buffalo saw Buffalo lodging places earn 28% more than an average day throughout the year, and 48% more than on an average day during the month of August.
Examine the chart above for a closer look at how much revenue at lodging places were impacted during the first week of classes at the University at Buffalo. (Classes resumed on Monday, August 26)
As summer ends and students come flocking back to the University at Buffalo, 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 |
| +0% vs avg day |
+7% vs avg day |
-7% vs avg day |
| -3% vs avg day during August |
+19% vs avg day during August |
-19% vs avg day during August |
The week that classes began at the University at Buffalo saw Buffalo retail shops earn 0% more than an average day throughout the year, and 4% 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 the University at Buffalo. (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 Buffalo 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 |
| -12% vs avg Saturday |
-7% vs avg Saturday |
-5% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Buffalo restaurants earned 12% less than an average Saturday during the rest of the year.
In fact, college football was big enough for restaurants in Buffalo that 1 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 Buffalo 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 |
| -36% vs avg Saturday |
-29% vs avg Saturday |
-9% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Buffalo bars earned 36% 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 Buffalo 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 |
| +3% vs avg Saturday |
-2% vs avg Saturday |
+5% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Buffalo lodging places earned 3% more than an average Saturday during the rest of the year.
In fact, college football was big enough for lodging places in Buffalo that 2 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 Buffalo 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 |
| -18% vs avg Saturday |
-18% vs avg Saturday |
+0% vs avg Saturday |
On Saturdays throughout the college football season, Buffalo retail shops earned 19% less than an average Saturday during the rest of the year.
Summmer and Holiday Breaks
Select an industry:
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 the University at Buffalo?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| +3% vs avg day |
+3% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Buffalo restaurants earned 3% more than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| +1% vs avg day |
+1% vs avg day |
+0% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Buffalo restaurants earned 2% 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 the University at Buffalo?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| -19% vs avg day |
-14% vs avg day |
-5% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Buffalo bars earned 19% less than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| +40% vs avg day |
+27% vs avg day |
+10% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Buffalo bars earned 41% 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 lodging places around the University at Buffalo?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| +18% vs avg day |
+11% vs avg day |
+6% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Buffalo lodging places earned 19% more than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| -30% vs avg day |
-14% vs avg day |
-19% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Buffalo lodging places earned 31% 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 the University at Buffalo?
Here’s what we learned:
| Avg. revenue: summer break | Avg. transactions: summer break | Avg. ticket price: summer break |
| +0% vs avg day |
+4% vs avg day |
-3% vs avg day |
From the end of spring semester until the start of fall semester, Buffalo retail shops earned 0% more than the annual average.
| Avg. revenue: holiday break | Avg. transactions: holiday break | Avg. ticket price: holiday break |
| +10% vs avg day |
-7% vs avg day |
+19% vs avg day |
During the weeks of the holiday break, meanwhile, Buffalo retail shops earned 10% 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.