Tariff fears drive US shoppers to stockpile apparel, footwear: Report

In the week ending March 23, categories like clothing, superstores, shoe stores, and department stores all posted robust gains in year-over-year (YoY) foot traffic. This surge is widely attributed to customers rushing to lock in pre-tariff prices—particularly for goods frequently imported from overseas, according to a Pass_by report.

In the week mentioned above, clothing visits jumped by 6.20 per cent, shoe stores grew by 4.36 per cent, and superstores rose by 4.27 per cent, suggesting that shoppers were concerned about pending duty increases on apparel, footwear, and everyday household items.

Just a week later, in the final days of March, foot traffic tumbled across many of these same categories. Clothing fell by 4.20 per cent and shoe stores dropped 9.49 per cent.

The first week of April saw a more tempered pace. Superstores, clothing, and electronics were down slightly, but grocery stores and liquor stores posted modest gains. This pattern indicates that many shoppers continued to approach non-essentials cautiously while maintaining consistent demand for staples. Some may have also waited for fresh information on which products would be hit hardest and how soon higher tariffs might take effect, added the report.

By April 13, foot traffic across several retail categories in the US experienced a renewed surge. Clothing store visits rose by 4.78 per cent, grocery saw a 6.95 per cent increase, and shoe stores recorded a 4.03 per cent rise, highlighting a strong rebound in consumer activity amid ongoing tariff concerns.

Many apparel, footwear, and specialty goods are globally sourced, prompting a wave of pre-emptive bulk buying as shoppers aim to avoid anticipated price hikes. Adding to the volatility is the uncertainty around implementation timelines; after initial panic purchases, many consumers paused their spending until policy details become clearer, causing sharp week-to-week fluctuations in foot traffic, as per the data.

Retailers, in turn, are fuelling this cycle by launching flash sales and time-limited promotions in response to tariff-related headlines—triggering temporary spikes in visits, which often decline just as quickly once the offers end.

“This isn’t just about inflation anymore—consumers are clearly reacting to tariff headlines by buying what they fear will soon become more expensive or harder to find,” said James Ewen, vice president, Marketing at Pass_by. “It is rare to see such coordinated spikes across essentials, apparel, and specialty food in one week.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)