Confidence in the back-to-school shopping season is strong, with parents planning to increase their spending by a robust 11.7% to an average of $489 per child, according to JLL’s new 2026 Back-to-School Survey. The report also revealed consumers are shifting toward purchasing at value-focused retailers such as Walmart, Amazon and Target.
The top three budget categories for the season are, as determined by a JLL survey of parents in the United States, clothing and uniforms, budgeted at $189 per child, or 28% of total spend; electronics, budgeted at $151, or 22% of total spend; and home furnishings at $125, or 18% of total spend.
The surge in planned spending has been driven by younger, more engaged shoppers and signals significant opportunities for retailers that can deliver on value, selection, and convenience, according to the commercial real estate and investment management firm.
The report suggests consumers approached their back-to-school shopping more strategically this year, even as some supply chain fears eased. As such, 27% of parents said they were planning to start shopping in July and 20% in August, creating a more concentrated, high-traffic selling period for retailers. The proportion of consumers who started BTS shopping in June declined to 35.9%, down nearly 9 percentage points year over year. The shift signals that parents are more confident they will find what they need than they were in the past few years, allowing them to make deliberate, well-planned purchasing decisions, JLL observed.
As for retailers, the firm maintained that Walmart’s popularity surged 22.5 percentage points to reach 77.3% of parents, while Target and Amazon remain in the top three. Together, the three now capture 58% of all mentions when survey respondents picked their top three preferred retailers for BTS, JLL noted. For the first time, dollar stores broke into the top 10 as retail destinations for back-to-school shoppers.
The top 10 retailers consumers most frequently list as a top-three place to shop for back-to-school 2026 are, JLL stated:
- Walmart, for 77.3%
- Target, for 40.1%
- Amazon, for 38.7%
- Old Navy, for 8.8%
- Dollar General, for 7.6%
- Dollar Tree, for 6.8%
- Staples, for 5.8%
- Ross Dress for Less, for 4.7%
- Macy’s, for 4.6%
- Kohl’s, for 3.9%
It’s noteworthy that Target and Amazon each slipped slightly year over year in BTS spending intentions, while all other retailers on the list gained in 2026.
“Families are seeking retailers that respect their time and budgets, which explains why 68.7% cite saving money and 35.1% prioritize finding the full school list in one place,” said James Cook, JLL Americas director of research, retail. “Mass merchandisers are the favorites this season because they solve both priorities at once. The retailers succeeding right now have made value and convenience intertwined in every shopping experience.”
