Per legal filings, 115 new chain stores opened in the month of June, an all time low. Now averaging approximately a 90% decrease since the pandemic began. Pre-pandemic monthly averages were more than 1200 new chain store openings per month.
On the other hand, Independents have steadied their growth trajectory for over a year, averaging 1950 new independent openings per month. See weekly chart dating from the beginning of the pandemic in March, 2020:
| WEEKLY | NEW Openings Chain Locations VS. Independent Locations | |
| Chain stores | Independent stores | |
| 6/30/2022 | 26 | 398 |
| 6/23/2022 | 11 | 384 |
| 6/16/2022 | 27 | 421 |
| 6/9/2022 | 22 | 351 |
| 6/2/2022 | 30 | 388 |
| 5/26/2022 | 28 | 431 |
| 5/19/2022 | 19 | 358 |
| 5/12/2022 | 16 | 357 |
| 5/5/2022 | 30 | 340 |
| 4/28/2022 | 21 | 373 |
| 4/21/2022 | 28 | 389 |
| 4/14/2022 | 21 | 343 |
| 4/7/2022 | 20 | 430 |
| 3/31/2022 | 36 | 374 |
| 3/25/2022 | 21 | 318 |
| 3/17/2022 | 27 | 387 |
| 3/10/2022 | 37 | 407 |
| 3/3/2022 | 26 | 386 |
| 2/24/2022 | 45 | 398 |
| 2/17/2022 | 22 | 324 |
| 2/10/2022 | 15 | 343 |
| 2/3/2022 | 32 | 333 |
| 1/27/2022 | 44 | 344 |
| 1/20/2022 | 31 | 292 |
| 1/13/2022 | 24 | 291 |
| 1/6/2022 | 28 | 363 |
| 12/30/2021 | 41 | 340 |
| 12/16/2021 | 33 | 360 |
| 12/9/2021 | 34 | 385 |
| 12/2/2021 | 46 | 411 |
| 11/18/2021 | 24 | 364 |
| 11/11/2021 | 41 | 434 |
| 11/4/2021 | 42 | 351 |
| 10/28/2021 | 34 | 405 |
| 10/22/2021 | 45 | 338 |
| 10/15/2021 | 36 | 399 |
| 10/7/2021 | 29 | 334 |
| 9/30/2021 | 28 | 351 |
| 9/23/2021 | 47 | 340 |
| 9/16/2021 | 53 | 386 |
| 9/9/2021 | 41 | 371 |
| 9/2/2021 | 33 | 315 |
| 8/26/2021 | 47 | 437 |
| 8/19/2021 | 46 | 249 |
| 8/12/2021 | 23 | 414 |
| 8/5/2021 | 36 | 443 |
| 7/29/2021 | 38 | 474 |
| 7/22/2021 | 49 | 465 |
| 7/15/2021 | 44 | 415 |
| 7/1/2021 | 32 | 406 |
| 6/24/2021 | 33 | 477 |
| 6/17/2021 | 55 | 413 |
| 6/10/2021 | 35 | 401 |
| 6/3/2021 | 32 | 431 |
| 5/27/2021 | 36 | 431 |
| 5/20/2021 | 31 | 412 |
| 5/13/2021 | 24 | 416 |
| 5/6/2021 | 33 | 459 |
| 4/29/2021 | 44 | 395 |
| 4/22/2021 | 24 | 382 |
| 4/15/2021 | 31 | 435 |
| 4/8/2021 | 28 | 426 |
| 4/1/2021 | 18 | 367 |
| 3/25/2021 | 22 | 386 |
| 3/18/2021 | 65 | 267 |
| 3/11/2021 | 54 | 421 |
| 3/4/2021 | 37 | 388 |
| 2/25/2021 | 33 | 399 |
| 2/18/2021 | 36 | 360 |
| 2/11/2021 | 79 | 589 |
| 2/4/2021 | 23 | 251 |
| 1/28/2021 | 21 | 294 |
| 1/21/2021 | 21 | 255 |
| 1/14/2021 | 46 | 441 |
| 1/7/2021 | 46 | 311 |
| 12/31/2020 | 45 | 322 |
| 12/17/2020 | 25 | 354 |
| 12/10/2020 | 42 | 369 |
| 12/3/2020 | 49 | 406 |
| 11/19/2020 | 41 | 389 |
| 11/12/2020 | 36 | 477 |
| 11/5/2020 | 43 | 472 |
| 10/29/2020 | 34 | 383 |
| 10/22/2020 | 56 | 482 |
| 10/15/2020 | 47 | 470 |
| 10/8/2020 | 40 | 489 |
| 10/1/2020 | 51 | 382 |
| 9/24/2020 | 61 | 452 |
| 9/17/2020 | 40 | 381 |
| 9/10/2020 | 38 | 359 |
| 9/3/2020 | 33 | 356 |
| 8/27/2020 | 60 | 430 |
| 8/20/2020 | 46 | 372 |
| 8/13/2020 | 63 | 422 |
| 8/6/2020 | 48 | 397 |
| 7/30/2020 | 53 | 439 |
| 7/23/2020 | 32 | 315 |
| 7/16/2020 | 47 | 409 |
| 7/9/2020 | 81 | 476 |
| 6/25/2020 | 36 | 308 |
| 6/18/2020 | 29 | 359 |
| 6/11/2020 | 42 | 212 |
| 6/4/2020 | 57 | 274 |
| 5/28/2020 | 40 | 258 |
| 5/21/2020 | 23 | 257 |
| 5/14/2020 | 50 | 288 |
| 5/7/2020 | 28 | 268 |
| 4/30/2020 | 44 | 280 |
| 4/23/2020 | 48 | 315 |
| 4/16/2020 | 50 | 475 |
| 4/9/2020 | 20 | 172 |
| 4/2/2020 | 43 | 284 |
| 3/26/2020 | 25 | 249 |
| TOTALS | Legal Filings Week ending 6/30/2022 | |
| WEEKLY | Total Raw Filings | Total Net New (Post Vetting) |
| 6/30/2022 | 1067 | 431 |
| 6/23/2022 | 902 | 412 |
| 6/16/2022 | 1039 | 462 |
| 6/9/2022 | 1085 | 387 |
| 6/2/2022 | 951 | 430 |
| 5/26/2022 | 1047 | 476 |
| 5/19/2022 | 874 | 400 |
| 5/12/2022 | 891 | 381 |
| 5/5/2022 | 941 | 378 |
| 4/28/2022 | 1032 | 406 |
| 4/21/2022 | 939 | 428 |
| 4/14/2022 | 955 | 373 |
| 4/7/2022 | 1053 | 458 |
| 3/31/2022 | 755 | 422 |
| 3/25/2022 | 1045 | 356 |
| 3/17/2022 | 896 | 439 |
| 3/10/2022 | 960 | 462 |
| 3/3/2022 | 962 | 436 |
| 2/24/2022 | 941 | 462 |
| 2/17/2022 | 977 | 356 |
| 2/10/2022 | 647 | 372 |
| 2/3/2022 | 650 | 383 |
| 1/27/2022 | 828 | 401 |
| 1/20/2022 | 935 | 335 |
| 1/13/2022 | 699 | 338 |
| 1/6/2022 | 812 | 407 |
| 12/30/2021 | 797 | 411 |
| 12/16/2021 | 854 | 410 |
| 12/9/2021 | 938 | 433 |
| 12/2/2021 | 867 | 471 |
| 11/18/2021 | 678 | 409 |
| 11/11/2021 | 808 | 493 |
| 11/4/2021 | 870 | 409 |
| 10/28/2021 | 850 | 454 |
| 10/22/2021 | 812 | 399 |
| 10/15/2021 | 970 | 453 |
| 10/7/2021 | 713 | 380 |
| 9/30/2021 | 75 | 399 |
| 9/23/2021 | 670 | 403 |
| 9/16/2021 | 825 | 455 |
| 9/9/2021 | 807 | 437 |
| 9/2/2021 | 714 | 359 |
| 8/26/2021 | 913 | 493 |
| 8/12/2021 | 889 | 453 |
| 8/5/2021 | 1132 | 490 |
| 7/29/2021 | 1152 | 523 |
| 7/22/2021 | 948 | 528 |
| 7/15/2021 | 1050 | 478 |
| 7/1/2021 | 819 | 452 |
| 6/24/2021 | 975 | 538 |
| 6/17/2021 | 837 | 481 |
| 6/10/2021 | 880 | 446 |
| 6/3/2021 | 1417 | 479 |
| 5/27/2021 | 1322 | 504 |
| 5/20/2021 | 1103 | 452 |
| 5/13/2021 | 1294 | 454 |
| 5/6/2021 | 1303 | 508 |
| 4/29/2021 | 1250 | 456 |
| 4/22/2021 | 1130 | 414 |
| 4/15/2021 | 1332 | 483 |
| 4/8/2021 | 1474 | 490 |
| 4/1/2021 | 1085 | 400 |
| 3/25/2021 | 1251 | 431 |
| 3/18/2021 | 368 | 344 |
| 3/11/2021 | 1525 | 495 |
| 3/4/2021 | 1216 | 435 |
| 2/25/2021 | 1006 | 460 |
| 2/18/2021 | 1002 | 410 |
| 2/11/2021 | 1851 | 685 |
| 2/4/2021 | 624 | 281 |
| 1/28/2021 | 736 | 322 |
| 1/21/2021 | 484 | 283 |
| 1/14/2021 | 880 | 509 |
| 1/7/2021 | 1061 | 389 |
| 12/31/2020 | 1264 | 381 |
| 12/17/2020 | 1226 | 392 |
| 12/10/2020 | 771 | 419 |
| 12/3/2020 | 1264 | 469 |
| 11/19/2020 | 1003 | 446 |
| 11/12/2020 | 957 | 526 |
| 11/5/2020 | 971 | 533 |
| 10/29/2020 | 965 | 430 |
| 10/22/2020 | 1080 | 550 |
| 10/15/2020 | 1129 | 530 |
| 10/8/2020 | 1237 | 548 |
| 10/1/2020 | 924 | 450 |
| 9/24/2020 | 1006 | 525 |
| 9/17/2020 | 1022 | 433 |
| 9/10/2020 | 1002 | 406 |
| 9/3/2020 | 1056 | 400 |
| 8/27/2020 | 1050 | 503 |
| 8/20/2020 | 978 | 433 |
| 8/13/2020 | 1066 | 502 |
| 8/6/2020 | 1158 | 462 |
| 7/30/2020 | 992 | 503 |
| 7/23/2020 | 724 | 358 |
| 7/16/2020 | 958 | 474 |
| 7/9/2020 | 1368 | 582 |
| 6/25/2020 | 711 | 354 |
| 6/18/2020 | 815 | 396 |
| 6/11/2020 | 497 | 264 |
| 6/4/2020 | 762 | 358 |
| 5/28/2020 | 691 | 316 |
| 5/21/2020 | 776 | 304 |
| 5/14/2020 | 801 | 356 |
| 5/7/2020 | 679 | 316 |
| 4/30/2020 | 678 | 324 |
| 4/23/2020 | 970 | 385 |
| 4/16/2020 | 839 | 532 |
| 4/9/2020 | 691 | 192 |
| 4/2/2020 | 639 | 327 |
| 3/26/2020 | 844 | 301 |