Families Make Fewer Store Trips but Spend More on Each Visit, According to New RetailNext Back-to-School Data for 2025

Back-to-school shopping is usually a high point for retailers, but this year, parents and shoppers approached the season with more caution. According to new data from RetailNext, which analyzed over 7 million shopping trips across thousands of U.S. stores in July and August 2025, shoppers consolidated visits, focused on apparel, and showed signs of more cost-conscious decision-making.

Fewer Trips, Higher Spend
Parents made fewer shopping runs this summer. Store visits slipped -2.3% in July and -2.8% in August compared to last year. But when families did shop, they made the trip count. Sales held steady, with July slightly up +0.4% and August down just -0.7%. Spend per shopper rose +2.2% in July and +1.8% in August, even though baskets held fewer items.

Shoppers picked up less (Units per Transaction down -1.0% in July and -1.4% in August), but they were willing to pay more per item (Average Unit Retail up +3.0% in July and +3.3% in August). Many parents didn’t wait until the last minute either, wrapping up supply and clothing runs by early August. By mid-month, traffic was already tapering off.

Apparel Steady, Footwear Weak
Clothing remained the core purchase. Apparel traffic barely moved, down -0.4% in July and -0.3% in August. Shoes told a different story. Year-over-year declines were steep (-4.7% in July and -7.3% in August), but demand spiked during the peak back-to-school weeks. From early July through early August, footwear traffic jumped 13% above June’s average and 11% higher than late August. Beauty also softened, down -0.6% in July and -3.0% in August.

Non-Back-to-School Essentials Took a Backseat
Outside of school-related categories, families spent less. Jewelry edged down from -0.3% in July to -0.9% in August, though it saw a 3–6% traffic lift during the July–August shopping period compared to the rest of the 2025 summer. Home goods were hit harder, falling -5.4% in July and -2.8% in August. The pullback in discretionary categories shows that while parents spent on classroom needs, they scaled back on extras.

Malls Outperform Smaller Formats
Shoppers leaned on malls as their main shopping destination. Traditional malls were flat in July (0.0%) and only dipped -0.9% in August. Luxury centers even posted a small gain in July (+0.1%) before softening in August (-2.3%). Lifestyle centers, which combine retail with mixed-use spaces like apartments, offices, restaurants, and gyms, underperformed (-3.1% in July, -3.0% in August). Outlets (-3.7% in July, -4.0% in August) underperformed, showing no boost from discounts. By August, strip malls (-3.7%) and freestanding stores (-3.1%) held up slightly better than outlets.

Regional Shifts Show Midwest Resilience
Regional performance showed resilience in the Midwest and sharper pullbacks on the coasts. The Midwest slipped just -0.8% in July and -1.4% in August. The South tracked close to average in August at -2.8%, improving from -3.1% in July. The West fell from -3.1% in July to -3.6% in August, while the Northeast slid from -2.2% to -3.5%.

Back-to-School in the Context of 2025 Traffic
While traffic was still down year-over-year, July and August showed smaller declines than earlier in 2025, making back-to-school one of the stronger periods of the year. U.S. visits were down more sharply earlier in the year: -4.4% in February, -4.2% in March, and -4.3% in June. Against that backdrop, July (-2.3%) and August (-2.8%) marked smaller declines, showing that back-to-school shopping held up better than broader traffic trends.

Looking Ahead to the Holidays
The way families approach back-to-school shopping may also preview holiday behavior. Instead of multiple browsing trips, parents are shopping less often, spending more carefully, and prioritizing essentials. Retailers could see the same pattern in Q4: fewer trips, bigger baskets, and a focus on value.

“Back-to-school shoppers were careful but decisive,” said Joe Shasteen, Global Manager of Advanced Analytics at RetailNext. “Families cut trips, spent more per visit, and prioritized apparel and enclosed malls over other categories and formats. It’s a clear sign of how consumer confidence may impact shopping behavior heading into the holidays.”

Methodology
RetailNext analyzed over 7 million shopping trips across specialty and larger format retail stores in the Continental United States. Categories include apparel, footwear, beauty, home, jewelry, and others. Data starting March 2020 reflects updated benchmarking methodology with weights adjusted to reflect the national retail landscape. Periods are defined according to the Fiscal 4-5-4 Retail Calendar and cover June Week 1, 2025, through August Week 4, 2025.

About RetailNext

RetailNext, the first retail vertical IoT platform to bring e-commerce-style shopper analytics to brick-and-mortar stores, brands, and malls, is a pioneer in optimizing the shopper experience. The platform automatically collects and analyzes shopper behavior data through its centralized SaaS solution, enabling retailers to enhance real-time experiences and drive better outcomes.

Recognized in 2024 in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the Retail Category, RetailNext is trusted by more than 560 retailers in over 100 countries. The company helps businesses better understand the shopper journey to increase same-store sales, reduce theft, and eliminate unnecessary costs. RetailNext is headquartered in Campbell, California. Learn more at retailnext.net.

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