The back to school shopping market remains robust, with 2025 planned expenditures in the K-12 segment reaching $39.4 billion, the second-highest figure on record. After the profound shifts in the…
US
Retail
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US K-12 Back to School Shopping Market Report 2026
"The back to school market remains stable, offering a reliable opportunity for brands to connect with consumers. Success will come from delivering balanced value: combining savings and quality with digital convenience and emotional relevance."
Brittany Steiger, Principal Analyst - Retail & eCommerce
The back to school shopping market remains robust, with 2025 planned expenditures in the K-12 segment reaching $39.4 billion, the second-highest figure on record. After the profound shifts in the market that occurred throughout the pandemic, the market has now settled into a consistent and relatively predictive norm, where back to school purchases continue to be perceived as essential.
Despite the market stabilizing at high spending levels, economic pressures and tariffs continue to challenge consumers, influencing spending behaviors and driving the need for strategic value messaging. Parents are prioritizing essentials, reducing discretionary purchases, and seeking convenience through digital channels.
AI shopping tools present a significant opportunity to reduce friction for shoppers, with nearly 70% of parents open to using technology to simplify their back to school shopping experience. As Millennial and eventually Gen Z parents assume greater ownership of the market, their digital fluency and preference for value-driven brands will shape future trends. To remain competitive, brands and retailers must focus on holistic value messaging and differentiate through emotional connections and convenience.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Parents’ back to school shopping participation, approaches and behaviors
Impact of the economy and other market drivers on the back to school season
Back to school purchases for K-12 and retailers shopped
Back to school shopping timeframe
Consumer mindset, trends and attitudes toward back to school shopping
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for back to school shopping
Opportunities
Tap into AI to revolutionize the school shopping list
Build emotional connection by supporting back to school routines
Deliver on expectations for value
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Economic uncertainty puts pressure on shoppers
Market drivers
54 million students are enrolled in K-12 school programs
US birth rates have declined over the last decade
Graph 1: live births (000), 2000-24*
Modern families reflect a diversifying population
Millennials dominate the back to school market, but generational shifts are in play
Graph 2: parents of children under age 18, by generation, 2025
Market size and forecast
The back to school (K-12) market stabilizes at record levels
K-12 spending hit second-highest peak on record
Graph 3: consumers’ planned back to school (K-12) spending, in current dollars, 2019-25
Consumers planned back to school (K-12) spending, in current dollars, 2019-25
Market segmentation
Electronics consistently make up the largest share of spending
Graph 4: distribution of consumers’ planned back to school spending (K-12), by category, 2019-25
Long-term trends reflect shift in learning styles
Graph 5: consumers’ planned back to school spending, by category, 2019-24
BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON UPDATE
Back to school shopping participation and approach
A stable and predictable back to school season
Graph 6: back to school shopping participation, by grade level of child, 2025-26 school year
Graph 7: back to school shopping approach, 2025-26 school year
Shopping timeframes remain consistent, though tariffs caused a slight pull-forward effect last season
Graph 8: back to school shopping timeframes, 2022-25
Back to school purchases are varied, but show signs of a pullback
Graph 9: back to school items purchased for K-12, 2024-25 vs 2025-26 school year
Back to school season marks a key wardrobe refresh moment for families
Graph 10: back to school apparel purchases, 2025-26 school year
“Big three” retailers stay on top, but other value formats are gaining share
Graph 11: back to school retailers shopped, 2025-26 school year
Graph 12: year-over-year comparison of select back to school retailers shopped, 2021-25
Subtle shifts in the retail landscape
Growth in ecommerce fuels an omnichannel future
Graph 13: US, back to school shopping method, 2023-25
Graph 14: back to school shopping methods, 2019-25
Market shifts and seasonal trends
Dads play a growing role in back to school shopping
Graph 15: shopping participation and approach, moms vs dads, 2025-26 school year
Make way for Gen Z parents
Media influence is rising among digitally native parents
Graph 16: year-over-year comparison of back to school shopping influences, 2022-25
Back to school trends
School policies and parental concerns impact purchase patterns
Store brand swaps offer appealing savings
THE BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPER MINDSET
Emotional connections remain strong
Back to school shopping facilitates family bonding
Modern parents seek connection with their children
Graph 17: attitudes toward back to school shopping – emotional connection, by generation of parents, 2025-26 school year
Parents want their kids to dress for success
Brands must promote healthy self-esteem
Economic pressures are adding strain
High prices continue to be a challenge
Financial situations create conflicting realities
Graph 18: attitudes toward back to school shopping – economic impact, by household financial situation, 2025
Budget-conscious behaviors create a pull-forward effect
Graph 19: attitudes toward back to school shopping timeframes, by shopping timeframes, 2025
Promotional events have significant influence on the season
Graph 20: back to school shopping behaviors – promotions and deal-seeking, by household financial situation, 2025-26 school year
Price freezes became a key value message amid tariffs
Need for convenience
Back to school stress has parents searching for an “easy button”
Dads lean on convenience to get the job done
Graph 21: attitudes toward convenience, by gender of parent, 2025-26 school year
Online shopping boosts efficiency
AI shopping tools will shift the balance further toward digital
Graph 22: openness to technology use (eg AI shopping assistants), by key demographics, 2026
Walmart uses humor to make convenience and value feel effortless for parents
What to expect in the upcoming back to school season
APPENDIX
Report scope & market definition
The market
Consumer’s planned back to school (K-12) spending, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2019-25
Expected per person K-12 spending, in current dollars, 2019-25
The K-12 segment comprises about a third of total back to school spending
Graph 23: consumers’ total planned back to school spending, including K-12 and college segments, 2025
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Generations
Topical attitudes and behaviors toward back to school shopping
Graph 24: topical attitudes and behaviors toward back to school shopping, 2025
Attitudes toward back to school shopping
Graph 25: attitudes toward back to school shopping, any agree (NET), 2025
Back to school shopping behaviors
Graph 26: back to school shopping behaviors, 2025
Sources of back to school shopping influence
Graph 27: sources of back to school shopping influence, 2025
Abbreviations
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