Consumers Get Early Start On Back-To-School Shopping
The back-to-school/back-to-college season is underway as more than half of consumers seeking products for the new school year have already started shopping, according to information from the National Retail Federation (NRF).
While 55% of consumers said have started shopping for the upcoming school year, the majority (86%) still have at least half of their purchases left to complete. The top reasons consumers still have shopping to do are they are waiting for the best deals (45%) or they don’t know what is needed yet (45%).
“The back-to-school and college season is an important time for retailers and consumers,” said Katherine Cullen, vice president of Industry and Consumer Insights with the NRF. “Families and students are eager to get a jumpstart on their shopping for the start of the school year. Retailers have anticipated this early demand and are well-positioned to offer a variety of products at competitive prices.”
Similar to 2023, 85% of back-to-class shoppers say they will take advantage of Prime Day and other retailer sales in July to buy classroom staples and other school necessities.
Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, school supplies, and electronics. This is approximately $15 less than last year’s record of $890.07 but is the second-highest amount in the survey’s history. Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach $38.8 billion, also the second-highest figure on record, after 2023’s high of $41.5 billion.
K-12 shoppers are budgeting $309.35 on average for electronics ($13.7 billion total), $253.29 for clothing and accessories ($11.2 billion total), $141.62 for school supplies ($6.3 billion total), and $170.43 for shoes ($7.6 billion total).
Similar to past years, the most popular destinations for back-to-school shopping are online (57%), department stores (50%), discount stores (47%), clothing stores (42%) and electronics stores (23%).
College students and their families are expected to spend an average of $1,364.75 on items for the upcoming school year, in line with last year’s record of $1,366.95. Total back-to-college spending is expected to reach $86.6 billion, the second-highest figure in the history of the survey. Last year, total spending was forecast to hit a record $94 billion.
The top five categories for college spending include $359.49 on average for electronics ($22.8 billion total), $192.40 for dorm or apartment furnishings ($12.2 billion total), $171.06 on clothing and accessories ($10.9 billion total), $149.71 on food ($9.5 billion total) and $112.60 on shoes ($7.1 billion total).
Similar to past years, the top shopping destinations for back-to-college students and their parents are online (50%), followed by department stores (35%), discount stores (31%), and college bookstores, office supply stores, and clothing stores (tied at 26%).
Since 2003, NRF has conducted a comprehensive survey on back-to-class shopping trends. This year’s research included 7,533 consumers and was fielded July 1-8 with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
