Every parent dreads it: the list of school supplies that must be purchased before the first bell rings in mid- to late August or early September. And with inflation, the annual bill is approaching $1,000 – a heavy hit to any budget – according to a PwC analysis.
The solution?
Families are taking a page out of their holiday shopping playbooks: They’re making multiple trips to stores over a longer period of time to ease the burden on their wallets in what has become the second biggest shopping season for families, according to NerdWallet.
Which Stores Have Started Back-to-School Sales?
Retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy have taken note of evolving consumer habits, likely spurred by Amazon’s Christmas-in-July Prime Day concept and rolling out their back-to-school deals earlier than ever. This year Amazon moved its Prime Day offerings to June, only the second time that’s happened since the concept was introduced in 2015. The first time was in the depths of the pandemic.
“Shifting Prime Day and other retailer deal days into June helped the industry maximize consumer interest on the promotional time periods leading up to the Fourth of July holiday weekend and spread out sales throughout the summer months,” Elizabeth Lafontaine, director of research at Placer.ai, told The Food Institute.
“Consumers are increasingly focused on value, and tentpole events have been key in driving store visits and encouraging spending as shoppers try to be more careful about overall spending.”
The National Retail Federation reported about a third of shoppers started their back-to-school shopping in early June, with Gen Z and millennials taking the lead. And 78% of shoppers surveyed said they expected prices to be higher.
“Retailers are showing up for these consumers with promotions all summer, and consumers are taking note — about one-third of back-to-school shoppers say they typically plan their shopping around summer sales. And if back-to-school items are pricier than expected, these families are planning to make sure they’re ready for the school year by doing more comparative shopping or checking for these items at discount stores,” NRF said.
PwC’s 2026 U.S. Consumer Poll on Back-to-School Shopping found the students, themselves, are influencing buying decisions, discovering products on social platforms and following trends.
“Back-to-school shopping has evolved from a routine errand into an increasingly collaborative, digital, and expensive seasonal milestone,” PwC said.
How Much Does Back-to-School Shopping Cost Now?
Based on PwC’s latest survey data, parents say they expect to spend an average of $922 on back-to-school shopping in 2026. Nearly half (47%) expect to spend more than they did a year ago, a jump from 35% who said the same in last year’s survey.
Parents said they expect to spend an addition $635 per month once classes start on everything from school fees to snacks.
Other findings.
- 61% of parents plan to allow their children to add items to online carts
- 73% of parents use AI to research items, compare prices, budget and find deals
- In-store shopping is expected to decline 70%
“Shoppers are increasingly turning to private label products to stretch budgets without sacrificing back-to-school essentials, and they’re starting earlier to take advantage of discounts to avoid potential price increases and spread purchases over several pay cycles rather than making one large expenditure,” Will Auchincloss, Americas retail sector leader at Ernst & Young Parthenon, told FI.
“In response, retailers are launching promotions sooner because winning share of the wallet early can influence purchasing decisions throughout what remains one of the most significant retail spending seasons of the year.”
Still, back-to-school is not as important to big box retailers as the holiday shopping season, said Rachid Wehbi, CEO of Sell The Trend.
“The larger goal is to win the shopper over as a loyal customer and keep them within their store ecosystem,” Wehbi said.
Food for Thought Leadership
Food retail is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and few people have a better vantage point than the SupermarketGuru Phil Lempert. In this episode of Food for Thought Leadership, Lempert joins FI’s Chris Campbell to discuss the forces reshaping grocery, from inflation and private label growth to changing consumer expectations around health, wellness, and transparency.
