Two-thirds of back-to-school shoppers plan to combine their retail trips with dining, entertainment, or attractions this season, according to a new consumer survey commissioned by Mall of America. The finding, drawn from more than 620 U.S. consumers surveyed in July 2026, is a direct signal to restaurant and foodservice operators that the seasonal shopping rush is also a hospitality opportunity.
The Dining-and-Shopping Shift
The survey data reinforces a well-documented shift in how families spend discretionary time: the errand has become the outing. Ninety-seven percent of respondents said they plan to shop in-store either exclusively (43%) or in combination with online channels (54%), and more than half (54%) identified shopping malls as their primary back-to-school destination. For mall-based dining operators, that foot traffic concentration represents a concentrated window of consumer spending that extends well beyond the cash register.
Value remains a dominant concern — 45% of shoppers cited finding the best deals as their top priority, and nearly three-quarters (73%) plan to spend between $100 and $499 per student this year. Yet the same consumers are clearly willing to extend their visit when dining and entertainment are part of the package. That tension between budget-consciousness and experience-seeking is the environment restaurant and hospitality operators are increasingly navigating in mixed-use and anchor retail settings.
What Operators Should Note
The survey surfaces several data points with direct implications for foodservice and hospitality planning. Students themselves are the biggest purchase influencer for 37% of families, and 65% of respondents said they have bought a back-to-school item after seeing it on social media — dynamics that apply as much to food and beverage choices as to apparel. Meanwhile, 41% of shoppers reported purchasing brands and products they enjoyed growing up, a nostalgia trend that beverage and food brands have been activating aggressively through limited-edition releases and retro flavor profiles.
Artificial intelligence, despite widespread industry discussion, ranked as a minor shopping tool: only 10% of surveyed consumers said they plan to use AI to research or make purchases this season.
"Our research shows shoppers are redefining value," said Jill Renslow, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Mall of America. "Today's families are looking for destinations that offer more than great deals. They're combining shopping with dining and entertainment while rediscovering brands from their own childhood to share with the next generation."
For foodservice operators in mall environments, the takeaway is clear: back-to-school is no longer a retail-only season. Families arriving with a shopping list are increasingly arriving with plans to eat, and capturing that intent with targeted promotions, family-friendly programming, or value-driven meal options could meaningfully lift covers during what is traditionally a high-traffic late-summer period. The survey was conducted online in July 2026 by Mall of America.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
