Some 62% of consumers already had started shopping by early July for an academic year that looks to set spending records, according to the annual back-to-school survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
Although the early shopping figure is down from 67% at the same point in 2025, NRF said it remains significantly higher than the 55% reported in 2024.
Families with students in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $863.86 on BTS items this year, up from $858.07 in 2025, according to NRF. The survey signaled that total spending would reach a record $43.3 billion, driven by slight increases in planned spending on shoes, school supplies and electronics. The total spend reading gained from $39.4 billion in 2025 and surpassed the previous survey high of $41.5 billion set in 2023.
College students and their families intend to spend a record $103.5 billion on back-to-school shopping this year, the the NRF survey indicated, surpassing $100 billion for the first time and beating last year’s $88.8 billion. Off-to-college shoppers planned 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.
When it comes to BTS shopping destinations, half of K-12 families plan to purchase items online, down from 55% in 2025, with other leading destinations including department store (47%), discount stores (44%) and clothing stores (39%). Meanwhile, 41% off-to-college families plan to shop online this year, marking the lowest level since 2016 (38%) with other popular shopping destinations including department stores (33%), discount stores (33%) and college bookstores (25%).
For college BTS shoppers as for those K-12, electronics was the top category in terms of purchase intentions. For off-to-college, planned outlay was electronics $341.95, followed by dorm and apartment furnishings at $194, clothing and accessories at $182.39, food at $153.91 and personal care items at $133.34.
Consumers are delaying purchases until later in the season in many cases or spreading out shopping to manage their BTS budgets, NRF reported. Among those who had not yet purchased at least half of their back-to-school items by early July, 46% said they were waiting for the best deals to finish their shopping, and 23% said they were spreading out their budgeting. As they looked ahead, 47% of survey respondents said they planned to purchase only the essentials needed for the start of the school year, then replenish supplies as needed.
Cosumers took advantage of seasonal promotions to save cash as they approached BTS shopping, with 54% reporting they participated in major June sales events such as Amazon Prime Day, Walmart Deals and Target Circle Deal Days specifically to look for school-related items.
“Affordability is a concern for families and a top priority for retailers as we enter the back-to-school season,” said Mark Mathews, NRF chief economist and executive director of research. “Shoppers are keeping value front and center as they look for ways to make their dollars go further. Retailers are responding with a strong assortment of products, promotional events and more convenient shopping options, helping families find what they need while saving time and money.”
Phil Rist, Prosper executive vice president of strategy, added, “The rise in college spending is being driven by increased purchasing plans across multiple categories. 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.”
