Although Verizon is currently the largest cell carrier in the U.S., the second-place operator, T-Mobile, has overtaken the cell champ in one key metric: It managed to get more customers in its stores than its rival. Physical store popularity doesn’t necessarily translate to direct sales, but it’s still a pathway customers can follow to select a plan, buy a device, or receive help.

Statistics compiled for SlashGear by Dataherald show that T-Mobile's stores have generated significantly more foot traffic than Verizon's since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in April 2020. The gap was at its widest in April 2022 when T-Mobile's outlets received more than double the number of visitors Verizon had — and even managed to beat Verizon's 2019 peak.

Since it took the lead, T-Mobile has witnessed a 10,000-individual weekly lead in foot traffic over Verizon, but both brands have also seen an increase in foot traffic as the pandemic subsides. The footfall dominance isn't T-Mobile’s only piece of good news: In February 2022, the brand announced it had expanded its 5G ultra capacity service to reach up to 200 million people.