Early Deals, Tight Budgets, and Digital Upgrades: Back-to-School 2025 by the Numbers

Back-to-school shopping is one of the biggest seasonal moments in U.S. retail, but how parents prepare, plan, and purchase is constantly shifting.

Last month, we surveyed over 2,000 U.S. parents of school-aged children to learn when they plan to shop, how they’ll do it, and where their dollars are headed.

This article will dive into some of the key takeaways from that survey.

When Parents Shop: Get Ready for Early Birds

Our survey found that September remains the top month for parents, with 35% planning to shop then. However, that’s up from 22% in 2024. Similarly, 25% of parents now plan to shop in June, up significantly from 14% last year.

August dropped significantly to 25% (from 41%), while July dropped to 15% (from 22%). So not only are the early birds having a moment, but so are the late comers.

This year-over-year trend signals that back-to-school is no longer a single retail moment—it’s stretching into a multi-phase event. Parents appear to be aligning their shopping behavior with their financial calendars and personal schedules: some are locking in early deals in June, while others continue to wait for last-minute promotions in August and September.

Others may be looking for clothing and electronics now, while waiting to stock up on school supplies.

For marketers, this means promotional calendars must adapt. A single “Back-to-School Sale” isn’t enough. Instead, think of June as the awareness and early value phase, July and August as product discovery and comparison, and September as the final decision-making crunch.

Shopping intent is now staggered, and marketers who can sequence messaging across these windows will be best positioned to capture share of wallet at every stage.

How They Shop: Convenience Is Catching Up

In-store shopping continues to lead, with 33% of parents planning to head to physical locations. That’s down from 39% last year, but it still reflects a strong preference for tactile, in-person browsing—especially when it comes to clothing, backpacks, or supplies that kids want to see and touch before choosing. Online shopping saw a similar decline, falling to 17% (from 24%).

Meanwhile, convenience channels are seeing growth:

• Curbside pickup jumped to 15.06% (from 9.45%)
• Home delivery rose to 15.88% (from 12.13%)

These numbers reflect a growing openness to hybrid fulfillment experiences. Parents balance control, flexibility, and time savings. The rise in undecided shoppers (19%, up from 15% last year) also points to a window of opportunity: marketers who emphasize ease, availability, and immediacy can win over parents still weighing their options.

Think of convenience not just as a feature, but as a selling point. Highlight store locator tools, same-day delivery options, and BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) flows in your messaging. Parents are busy. If you can make their experience seamless, they’ll likely reward you with loyalty.

Where They Shop: Big Box Slows its Lead

Big Box Stores remain the most common choice for back-to-school purchases, with 26% of parents saying they’ll shop there. This is an increase from 24% in 2024, but still down from 2023’s 29% share.

And the competition is creeping closer:

• Big Box Stores still lead at 26% (up 2 points YoY)
• Department Stores grew to 21% (up 3 points YoY)
• Online Retailers dropped to 18% (down 5 points)
• Local Retailers stayed steady at 18%
• Other/None of the Above decreased slightly to 17%

This may mean that the playing field is flattening as consumers weigh value, convenience, and selection across channels. But it also points to the fact that parents choose different stores for different purposes.

Back-to-school shopping isn’t just about school supplies—which survey respondents were planning to buy at Big Box Stores—but also include clothing, electronics, online subscriptions, and more. This spread of store types is more indicative of these different shopping categories than loyalty or share-of-wallet.

Where parents shop is also closely tied to how much they plan to spend: Among shoppers with budgets of $100–$300, 35% will head to Big Box Stores. They are also more likely to be primarily purchasing school supplies. For parents planning to spend $800 or more, Online Retailers (29%) and Local Retailers (23%) become much more common.

How Much They Spend: Budgets Decline

Back-to-school budgets are tightening in 2025—and marketers should take note. Parents are adjusting their expectations and spending levels, which means value and versatility will be key themes this season.

• 40% plan to spend $100–$300
• 18% expect to spend $400–$700
• 14% are aiming for $800–$1000
• 28% still anticipate spending $1000+

Compared to 2024, where a staggering 34% of shoppers planned to spend $1000+, the upper tiers of spend have dropped significantly. In contrast, the $100–$300 bracket has grown this year—making it the single largest segment of BTS shoppers.

This year-over-year change may signal that high-ticket purchases are shrinking unless essential. Parents are clearly prioritizing needs over wants and stretching every dollar. For marketers, this is an invitation to lead with bundles, promotions, and tiered pricing strategies that speak to constrained budgets without compromising quality.

That said, nearly a third of respondents still plan to spend over $1000—especially on higher-ticket categories like electronics and digital resources. For this group, relevance and perceived value matter more than price alone.

In short: meet families where they are. Budget ranges don’t just shape what parents buy—they shape how and where they buy it. Campaigns that acknowledge this dynamic will feel more personalized, helpful, and ultimately, more effective.

What They Buy: Not Just Books & Backpacks

What parents put in their carts tells us just as much as where and when they shop.

For 2025, the data shows that school supplies and essentials still anchor the season, but tech and digital tools are rising in prominence, especially among higher-spending households.

Top product categories include:

• 24% = School Supplies
• 19% = Clothing & Accessories
• 17% = Electronics
• 13% = Safety Essentials
• 13% = Extracurricular Activities
• 13% = Online Resources & Subscriptions

And once again, budget plays a defining role:

• Among parents spending $100–$300, 31% prioritize School Supplies and 23% Clothing & Accessories.
• At the $800+ tier, parents shift focus toward Electronics, Online Resources, and Subscriptions—only 14% of them prioritize School Supplies at all.

This segmentation suggests a nuanced product strategy: lower-budget families are looking for foundational items to check off their lists, while higher-budget families are looking to enhance and enrich their students’ experience through tech, tools, and enrichment activities.

This means retailers need to diversify promotion bundles.

• For lower tiers, highlight all-in-one kits, everyday apparel, and essentials at accessible price points.
• For higher tiers, showcase premium gear, tech upgrades, and value-added bundles that feel tailored to older students, digital learners, or college-bound teens.

Strategic Takeaways for Retail Marketers

Now that you understand what we learned in our survey, and how to apply it to your BTS season, let’s hit the high points one more time:

1. Start in June, stay live through September. Capture early birds and late shoppers alike.
2. Segment your audience by planning style. Early, late, and undecided shoppers need different pacing and touch points.
3. Push value-first messaging. The $100–$300 budget band dominates, and shoppers are looking for deals.
4. Match channels to products. Supplies = Big Box. Electronics = Online. Subscriptions = anywhere parents scroll.
5. Embrace fulfillment flexibility. Growth in curbside and delivery shows that ease is everything.
6. Address the indecisive segment. Nearly 1 in 5 parents don’t yet know how they’ll shop—be the brand that helps them decide.

Need help planning your back-to-school programs and segments?

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