ThredUp Inc

Children's shoe prices rose by 3.2% in the first half of the year, putting full-year prices on pace to increase at the fastest pace in 34 years aside from the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022, according to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers Association. The increase is straining family budgets as kids head back to school, with parents and kids spending more time looking for deals or buying fewer pairs, according to analysts and retailers. From January through June, children's footwear sales slipped by 3%, with pairs sold dropping by 9% and average sale price rising by 7%, according to Circana. Retailers including Target and JCPenney are offering back-to-school deals, and secondhand retailers like Goodwill and ThredUp report more interest from customers wanting to buy gently worn back-to-school shoes.