Pawn shops: The surprising back-to-school shopping destination
Mon, August 18, 2025
Americans are back-to-school shopping earlier than previous years due to fears of tariffs raising prices. Families with tighter budgets are finding deals in a less traditional place: pawn shops.Families plan to spend about 2% less this back-to-school season compared to last year, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. Pawn shop owners told CNN they are seeing more Americans coming in for back-to-school essentials.
“With the way the economy is right now, people realize that they can go to a pawn shop anywhere in the United States, and they can save tremendous amounts of money,” said Les Gold, owner of the pawn shop American Jewelry and Loan in New York City.
