Foot traffic at American stores has spiked in recent weeks, which analysts credit to shoppers stocking up ahead of tariff-induced price hikes.
Americans are flocking to stores in large numbers, stocking up on goods in anticipation of President Donald Trump’s tariffs leading to higher costs.
According to new research from pass_by, a market intelligence firm, foot traffic was up 6.1 percent year-on-year at U.S. retailers last week, nearly double the spike seen the previous week (3.2 percent).
The market intelligence firm told Newsweek that this trend suggests consumers are „adjusting their shopping timelines“ ahead of tariff-related price increases.
Trump announced, and then paused, tariffs on dozens of countries around the globe earlier this month. The announcement sparked concerns from Republicans and Democrats about a recession as the stock market took a hit after his announcement. Trump, however, has said the tariffs are necessary to restore U.S. manufacturing jobs and close trade deficits.
While most of the tariffs were given 90-day pauses to allow more time to work out new trade deals, the U.S. remains locked in a trade fight with China. Tariffs on Chinese imports remain at 145 percent, fueling concerns about whether American consumers will pay higher prices on those goods.
According to pass_by’s research, which utilized data from in-store sensors across the U.
