A recent NRF survey found that consumers are already beginning their back-to-school shopping. According to the survey, 67% have already begun purchasing items for the upcoming school year.
The early start is up from 55% last year and is the highest since NRF started tracking early shopping in 2018, according to the survey. Additionally, half (51%) of back-to-school families are shopping earlier this year compared to last year specifically out of concern that prices will rise due to tariffs.
“Consumers are being mindful of the potential impacts of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school items, and have turned to early shopping, discount stores and summer sales for savings on school essentials,” NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights Katherine Cullen said in a news release. “As shoppers look for the best deals on clothes, notebooks and other school-related items, retailers are highly focused on affordability and making the shopping experience as seamless as possible.”
Back-to-School Shopping
While consumers are getting a head start on shopping, most (84%) still have at least half of their purchases left to complete, according to the survey. The top reasons consumers have shopping left to do are because they are waiting for the best deals (47%), do not yet know what items are needed (39%) or are planning to spread out their budgets (24%).
For those looking for back-to-school deals during the summer, retailer events such as Prime Day, Walmart Deals and Target Circle Week remain a popular opportunity to make progress on shopping lists, according to the survey. Four in five shoppers (82%) were planning around July sales to shop specifically for items for the upcoming school year.
Families with students in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $858.07 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics, according to the survey, down from $874.68 in 2024. Despite families budgeting less this year, slightly more consumers are purchasing apparel and electronics, driving expected total spending to $39.4 billion, up from $38.8 billion last year.
K-12 shoppers are budgeting $295.81 on average for electronics ($13.6 billion total), $249.36 for clothing and accessories ($11.4 billion total), $169.13 for shoes ($7.8 billion total) and $143.77 for school supplies ($6.6 billion total).
As with recent years, the most popular destinations for back-to-school shopping are online (55%), followed by department stores (48%), discount stores (47%) and clothing stores (41%), according to the survey.
Back-to-School for College Students
College students and their families are planning to spend an average of $1,325.85, down from $1,364.75 in 2024. Although per person spending has decreased, on average, more consumers are shopping across almost every category, bringing expected total back-to-college spending to $88.8 billion, up from $86.6 billion last year.
The top five categories for college spending include $309.50 on average for electronics ($20.7 billion total), $191.39 for dorm or apartment furnishings ($12.8 billion total), $166.07 on clothing and accessories ($11.1 billion total), $140.24 on food ($9.4 billion total) and $117.95 on personal care items ($7.9 billion total), according to the survey.
“This increase can largely be attributed to higher income households, while lower income households are pulling back across categories because of economic uncertainty,” Prosper executive vice president of strategy Phil Rist said in the release. “Regardless of income, families want to ensure their students are set up for success. They are cutting back in other areas, using buy now, pay later or buying used or refurbished items to have everything they need for the school year.”
The top shopping destination for college students and their parents remains online (48%), followed by discount stores (36%), department stores (35%) and college bookstores (27%), according to the survey/ While these destinations are in line with 2024, discount stores have risen in popularity by five percentage points this year as shoppers look for value.
