
Strong outlook for back-to-school shopping
As students begin returning to classrooms, parents are hitting stores for clothing and school supplies. The National Retail Federation (NRF) examined consumer data and the impact of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school spending. ABD joined a webinar held by NRF to outline the findings. Mark Mathews, Chief Economist and Executive Director of Research for NRF, said what he refers to as “consumer sentiment” is very low, but he has seen a recent bounce. “When you look at the consumer’s finances, household net worth remains near record highs. We have discretionary







