New York —

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: pawnshops.

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. Pawnshop 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 pawnshop anywhere in the United States, and they can save tremendous amounts of money,” said Les Gold, owner of the pawnshop American Jewelry and Loan in New York City.

Pawnshops can be  one-stop shops for many back-to-school items: Sneakers, laptops, musical instru

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