Why the Back-to-School Bump Is More Crucial Than Ever This Year

The first quarter of 2023 took a toll on footwear retailers. Many noted softening sales as consumers pulled back on discretionary spending and some, like Macy’s, Shoe Carnival, Designer Brands and Genesco, even downgraded their full-year outlooks to reflect the hit to sales and a murkier environment. Now, retailers are holding out hope that a robust back-to-school season will give them the boost they need to make up for lost ground. “[Back-to-school] has always been looked at as a bellwether for holiday,” explained Beth Goldstein, footwear and accessories analyst at Circana. “But retailers are definitely concerned with making up some of this business.” And with the inventory excesses and supply chain slowdowns of the last two years now mostly a thing of the past, retailers are in a much better position to deliver compelling new products to consumers this year — something executives from Shoe Carnival, Genesco and Designer Brands all noted in their recent earnings calls. Consumers will likely still spend cautiously. But luckily for retailers, they are more likely to spend on kids’ products than they might in other fashion categories, which could give many kids-focused retailers a leg up during the season. “One of the nice things that’s inherent

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