Circana: Consumer emphasis on value and need-based spending continued in August

School necessities such as leisure footwear were among the top categories in August.

Traditional retail milestones — including the back-to-school shopping season — are being reshaped by changing consumer behavior.

That’s according to Circana, which said that during the four weeks ending Aug. 31, total U.S. retail sales revenue across the combined view of discretionary general merchandise and consumer packaged goods declined 1% as compared to the same four weeks last year. Unit demand remained level.

Year-over-year comparisons reveal a shift in performance, as sales revenue of each retail segment declined slightly. Retail food and beverage sales revenue was 2% lower than last year, with flat unit sales. Both sales revenue and demand of non-edible CPG declined 1%. Once again, discretionary sales declined 3% in dollars, but unit sales grew 1%.

“Consumers are buying the same amount of product, but they are spending less, and that spending is aligned with current needs,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry advisor for Circana. “The defined block of time when that back-to-school spending traditionally occurred has faded, now spread across three waves of shopping and multiple shopping seasons.”