NRF: Back-to-school shoppers prioritize value; many waiting for ‘best’ deals
Shoppers are keeping value front and center as the back-to-school shopping season kicks off with many, but not all, getting an early start.
Sixty-two percent of shoppers already started shopping for the school year by early July, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics of shoppers having already started shopping for the school year by early July. This is down from 67% at the same point in 2025, but significantly higher than the 55% reported in 2024.
At the same time, many consumers are delaying purchases until later in the season or spreading out their shopping to manage their budgets. Among those who have not yet purchased at least half of their back-to-school items, 46% say they are waiting for the “best deals” to finish their shopping, while 23% are spreading their budgets. And 17% say the prices are too high.
About half of shoppers (47%) say they plan to purchase only the essentials needed for the start of the school year and replenish supplies as needed throughout the year.
“Affordability is a concern for families and a top priority for retailers as we enter the back-to-school season,” said NRF chief economist and executive director of research Mark Mathews. “Shoppers are keeping value front and center as they look for ways to make their dollars go further.”
Shoppers also took advantage of seasonal promotions to save. More thn half (54%) report they shopped major June sales events such as Prime Day, Walmart Deals and Target Circle Deal Days specifically for school-related purchases.
K-12 Shoppers
Families with students in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $863.86 on items this year, up slightly from $858.07 in 2025. Total spending is expected to reach a record $43.3 billion, driven by slight increases in planned spending on shoes, school supplies and electronics. The total is up from $39.4 billion in 2025 and surpasses the previous survey high of $41.5 billion set in 2023.
K-12 shoppers plan to spend an average of $293.11 on electronics ($14.7 billion total), followed by $250.29 on clothing and accessories ($12.5 billion total), $174.01 on shoes ($8.7 billion total) and $146.45 on school supplies ($7.3 billion total).
Looking at shopping destinations, only half (50%) plan to purchase items online, down from 55% last year. Other leading destinations include department stores (47%), discount stores (44%) and clothing stores (39%).
College
College students and their families are expected to spend a record $103.5 billion on back-to-school shopping this year, surpassing $100 billion for the first time and surpassing last year’s $88.8 billion. Shoppers plan to spend an average of $1,437.79, up from $1,325.85 in 2025 and surpassing the previous record of $1,366.95 set in 2023.
Electronics remain the top college spending category, with consumers planning to spend an average of $341.95, totaling $24.63 billion in sales. Rounding out the top spending categories are $194.00 for dorm or apartment furnishings ($14.0 billion total), $182.39 on clothing and accessories ($13.1 billion total), $153.91 on food ($11.1 billion total) and $133.34 on personal care items ($9.6 billion total).
Only 41% plan to shop online this year, marking the lowest level since 2016 (38%). Other popular shopping destinations include department stores (33%), discount stores (33%) and college bookstores (25%).
"The rise in college spending is being driven by increased purchasing plans across multiple categories,” said Phil Rist, executive VP of strategy, Prosper. “The percentage of consumers planning to purchase electronics has increased significantly this year, while several other categories are also attracting more shoppers than previous years.”
Since 2003, NRF has conducted a comprehensive survey on back-to-school shopping trends. This year’s research included 7,677 consumers and was fielded July 1-8 with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.
