As chains experience mergers and acquisitions, the organization and collection of their visitation data can vary based on the type of M&A. The following scenarios offer insights into how visitation data, chain IDs, and chain locations are modified, providing a clear understanding of the impacts in different M&A proceedings:

Scenario 1: Chain A merges into Chain B

• Chain A will close, and its chain ID will no longer be active. When generating a report with Chain A's ID, only historical data up to the closure date will be available. The same applies to its properties; Chain A locations will close, and their property IDs will provide only historical data in reports. 
• New locations with new IDs will be created for the same polygons as the closed locations, and assigned to Chain B. 
• Chain B will consolidate visitation data from both chains and start presenting visitation data as a unified entity. While the original Chain B locations will retain their historical records, the newly added locations will begin presenting fresh data post-merger and present new information moving forward.

An industry example of this scenario is BancorpSouth merging with Cadence Bank.

Scenario 2: Both Chain A and Chain B close giving rise to a new entity, Chain C

• Both Chain A and Chain B close, giving rise to a new entity, Chain C. 
• Both Chain A and Chain B, along with their chain IDs will no longer be active. Reports generated using the IDs of either chain will only provide historical data up until their respective closure dates. The same applies to their properties, as Chain A and Chain B locations will also close along with their property IDs, providing only historical data in reports. 
• Chain C is created with its own affiliated ID, and new locations with new IDs are generated for the same polygons as the closed locations, now assigned to Chain C. 
• Chain C consolidates the visitation data from both chains and starts collecting new visitation data. All locations will be listed under this new chain with no historical data to reference, beginning to collect fresh data after the merger and presenting new information moving forward. 

An industry example of this scenario is BB&T and Suntrust Bank chains merged and rebranded to become Truist Bank.

Scenario 3: Chain A merges into Chain B gradually

• Chain A merges into Chain B over a long timeframe. During this phased transition, Chain A operates independently for a specified duration. 
• Placer.ai monitors the conversion of Chain A's locations to Chain B by checking store locators on the brands' websites and updating the data accordingly. 
• When polygon locations from Chain A appear under Chain B’s branding, the transition is confirmed with the Placer.ai team. The locations and their property IDs are closed for Chain A, and new locations with new IDs for the same polygons are generated and assigned to Chain B. 
• If locations remain listed under Chain A, the chain continues to operate independently. Once all locations have transitioned from Chain A to Chain B, Chain A closes along with its ID, and any reports generated will only provide historical data up until the closure date.

However, there are instances when not all locations from Chain A are supposed to merge into Chain B; sometimes, only a portion of locations are included in the merger. In such cases, the transition of locations to the new chain occurs only when they are officially recognized on the new branding website. Placer.ai diligently strives to maintain accurate separation between chains and their respective locations. However, if it becomes challenging to keep the chains distinct (i.e., due to Chain A having too few locations), necessary steps will be taken. In some instances, Chain A will be closed, along with its associated ID, and its remaining locations will function as independent properties without any affiliated chain, only retaining an associated property ID.

An industry example of this scenario is Kwik Trip's acquisition of Stop N Go. Kwik Trip plans to operate many of the acquired stores under the existing Stop-N-Go banner while remodeling and rebranding some of the larger stores as Kwik Trip or Kwik Star.

Scenario 4: Chain Closure

If a chain closes, its corresponding chain ID will no longer be active. When generating a report for this chain, only historical data will be available up until the respective closure date.

An industry example of this scenario is Zoës Kitchen which closed all its stores.

Scenario 5: Chain Closure while some of its locations remain operating

When a chain closes but some locations continue to operate independently, several factors are considered, including the chain maintaining consistent branding and naming, and the number of independent locations. Placer.ai closely monitors the evolution and count of remaining independent locations before deciding whether to retain the chain affiliation or present the locations individually with their own property IDs.

An industry example of this scenario is Rite Aid. The pharmacy chain filed for bankruptcy and began closing hundreds of stores, the chain closed but some locations remain open.