Performance differentials among income bands signal possible inflection point in Footwear & Athletic Apparel.

As the holiday shopping season approaches ever quicker, Consumer Edge (CE) US transaction data highlights emerging insights into performance inflection points among shopper cohorts, including recent underperformance by low-income shoppers in Footwear & Athletic Apparel. In the 35-days ending November 2nd, 2025, the performance differential among income groups has significantly widened. For high- and middle-income customers, YoY spend growth in this latest period improved vs the preceding period by 140 and 70 basis points (bps), respectively. Meanwhile, these trends for low-income shoppers worsened by 60 bps, marking a significant underperformance for this customer cohort and deviating from trends throughout most of 2025. This could indicate trouble for brands most dependent on this shopper group.

Brand Exposure to Low-income Customers

Low-income consumers – defined as those that make $40,000 or less annually –  made up roughly 13% of consumer spend on Footwear & Athletic Apparel over the past year, according to CE’s transaction data. Considering the underperformance in the latest 35-day period, brands that over-index with this cohort are likely facing mounting pressure on performance heading into the holiday shopping season. 

Among these brands, Shoe Show and its sister brand Shoe Dept. stand out with their value-based promotions aimed at families on a budget. Similarly, the recently acquired Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker over-index with low-income customers, supported by clearance events and brand offering. Targeting Foot Locker with this customer cohort is JD Sports and its subsidiaries Finish Line, Shoe Palace, and DTLR. 
Skechers and Timberland also rank towards the top among brands with higher exposure to these customers, though for different reasons. Skechers appeals to these shoppers through a blend of comfort and practicality at an affordable price point, whereas Timberland’s style and durability offer these customers an opportunity splurge.

Brands and investors can leverage Consumer Edge transaction data to monitor demographic, geographic, and behavioral spending trends, providing a critical edge in understanding the evolving health of the shopper cohorts.

Jesse Waldvogel

is the Director of Insights for the CEIC. Explore more of his insights here.

Michael Gunther

is the SVP, Research & Market Intelligence at Consumer Edge. Explore more of his insights here.

< >
Share via