Shoppers are flocking to stores to stock up on everything from sweaters to shelf-stable foods ahead of further price increases from tariffs.
Data shared with Modern Retail shows that customers are rushing to secure goods in both discretionary and non-discretionary categories. According to market intelligence firm Pass_by, for the week ending April 13, foot traffic jumped 3.31% year over year at electronics stores, 4.03% at shoe stores, 4.78% at clothing stores, 5.49% at liquor stores, 6.95% at grocery stores and 13.30% at jewelry stores. Meanwhile, warehouse clubs “recorded their strongest year-over-year visitation week of 2025” from March 24 to 30, location analytics firm Placer.ai calculated.
Consumers are most likely reacting to headlines about tariffs by hurrying to buy things they fear will go up in price, these companies told Modern Retail. For instance, specialty food stores, known for carrying items like French cheese and Italian olive oil, saw a whopping 22.94% year-over-year increase in foot traffic from April 7 to 13, per Pass_by. Though some tariffs have been paused and some exemptions were announced, most imports from all countries are currently subject to at least a 10% tariff, which may explain why shoppers are looking to stock up on specialty foods.
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