Report: Back-to-School Shopping Will Be More Intentional, Happen Later in the Summer
Families with students in grades K-12 will spend about $557 per student this year, with back-to-school spending expected to reach $30.4 billion, according to the 2026 Deloitte Back-to-School Survey. This marks a 6% decrease year over year when adjusted for inflation.
The survey found that many shoppers will be intentional about their back-to-school purchases this year, with 31% of parents adopting four or more cost-saving behaviors. Those value-seeking parents will spend 14% more than other shoppers, Deloitte reported. Additionally, 71% of respondents said they will switch brands if their preferred brand is too expensive this year, 60% said they plan to shop at more affordable retailers and 51% said they plan to purchase from private labels instead of name brands.
Deloitte's survey also found that families plan to do their back-to-school shopping closer to the start of the school year, with spending expected to peak late this month and early next month. Just under half of planned back-to-school spending (48%) is expected to occur by the end of July this year, compared with 61% last year. Thirty-one percent more of planned spending will occur in early August, this year's survey found, and spending will rise to $173 per child in August, compared with $137 in 2025.
"We see parents approach back-to-school shopping with intent," said Brian McCarthy, Deloitte Consulting principal and Retail Strategy leader. "They tend to be more thoughtful about their spending and value-seeking strategies to help maximize their wallets."
Back-to-school spending will happen amid considerable economic uncertainty, according to the survey. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they expect the economy to worsen in the next six months, marking the highest percentage since 2020. Upper-middle-income families will spend 9% less on back-to-school shopping this year compared with last year, the survey found, and higher-income families will spend 20% less this year.
The economy will be a major factor in those decreases in spending, according to Deloitte's survey. Sixty-seven percent of upper-middle-income parents (those making between $100,000 and $199,000 per year) said they expect to spend less on back-to-school shopping this year because they're worried about the economy, while 63% of higher-income families (those making $200,000 per year or more) said they have less money to spend this year.
Interestingly, lower-income parents (those making $50,000 per year or less) will spend 10% more on back-to-school shopping this year compared with last year, and middle-income parents (those who make between $50,000 per year and $99,000 per year) will spend 12% more this year, the survey found. But these increases will be largely due to higher prices. Eighty percent of lower-income families and 71% of middle-income families said higher prices are what will drive them to spend more on back-to-school shopping this year.
"While many parents are willing to do all they can to help set their children up for success, financial concerns are leading them to sharpen their budgets," said Natalie Martini, Deloitte's vice chair and U.S. Retail and Consumer Products sector leader. "Cautious spending behavior exists across income groups, but value-seekers demonstrate that it's not always about the cost – some consumers are willing to spend if they find value in the purchase."
Between May 22 and May 29, Deloitte surveyed more than 1,200 parents with at least one child attending school in grades K-12 this fall.
This article was originally published on P2PI sibling brand Progressive Grocer.
