In Deloitte’s 2026 Back-to-School Survey, parents polled revealed they plan to spend $557 per student in grades K-12, down $13 year over year or about 2%, as economic considerations impact the selling season.
With adjustment for inflation, the survey result indicated families plan to spend 6% less year-over-year. In total, the business services firm anticipates collective back-to-school spending to arrive at about $30.4 billion.
Lower-income and middle-income parents surveyed expected to spend more because of higher prices, Deloitte maintained, while upper-middle-income and higher-income parents said they’ll reduce spending given financial concerns. Eight in 10 lower-income families earning $50,000 per year or less and 71% of middle-income families making $50,000 to $99,000 annually cited higher prices as the reason they’ll spend more. Then, 67% of upper-middle-income families making $100,000 to $199,000 plan to spend less because of worries about the economy.
Economic uncertainty looms over the back-to-school season, as 57% of those surveyed expect the economy to worsen during the next six months, Deloitte stated, the highest proportion reported in the survey since 2020. To open budget space for back-to-school items, half of survey respondents said they plan to cut back on other expenses such as dining out and entertainment.
As the shopping season gets underway, families are pushing back-to-school purchases closer to the start of the academic year, Deloitte reported, with planned spending expected to peak in late July and early August, a return to pre-pandemic trends. In all, 48% of parents reported that they intend to start BTS spending by the end of July, down from 61% in 2025, with an additional 31% of parental back-to-school spending expected to take place in early August.
In applying different approaches to shopping, 31% of K-12 parents qualified as what Deloitte termed hyper value-seekers, adopting four or more cost-saving behaviors. They plan to spend 14% more than other shoppers, suggesting they aren’t necessarily focused on the cheapest item available but more on buying intentionally.
Tech has a measurable impact on back-to-school as search and social media users, representing 21% of total shoppers, plan to spend an average of $531, while those who use search, social media and GenAI, at 29%, look to have the highest spend at $737.
Deloitte anticipates more back-to-school purchases occurring in-store rather than online, but the company added online shoppers plan to spend more, an average of $614 compared to $521 for mostly in-store shoppers.
Mass merchant retailers continue to be the top destination for back-to-school purchases, with 80% of parents planning to shop the channel. Online retailers, warehouse membership clubs and department stores are other top destinations. As they shop, 71% of parents said they would switch brands if their preferred label was too expensive. Six in 10 parents plan to shop at more affordable retailers for back-to-school gear this year, 51% expect to shop for private labels rather than name brands, and 25% plan to use cashback website.
“We see parents approach back-to-school shopping with intent,” said Brian McCarthy, principal, retail strategy leader, Deloitte Consultin. “They tend to be more thoughtful about their spending and value-seeking strategies to help maximize their wallets. Additionally, those who actively use multiple digital tools to research products tend to be more engaged shoppers overall. GenAI users, for example, may spend more time comparing products and filling their carts with more purchases, which can create a further benefit for retailers to lean into the technology.”
