The US back-to-school market valued at a USD 3 billion this year

Back-to-school spending in the US is expected to rise 3.3% YoY to reach USD 33.3 billion, Whilst 68% of respondents said they would limit their spending this year due to inflation, market upheaval and, most likely, the impending tariffs. Having said that, over 90% of shoppers plat to spend the same or more, in both dollar and unit terms, during this BTS season. On average, households are expecting to spend an average of USD 378 per child, a Y-oY increase of 21.5%.

Despite of a higher shopping budget this year, consumers are hoping to avoid price hikes by shopping earlier, buying in bulk, going for promotions or discounted items, and switching to private-label or more affordable brands.

A different PwC survey release just last month, highlights that 1 in 5 shoppers planned to use AI to find deals online, and respondents also mentioned planning to cut spending on the following categories:

Unsurprisingly, major retailers have launched summer sales with discounts on school supplies, and other key categories during the BTS shopping season. Amazon announced its four-day Prime Day sale, with lackluster results might I add, and Walmart and Target each kicked off similar promos. Similarly, Dollar General marked down more than 1,000 items through Labor Day and is offering back-to-school promos such as a 30% off digital voucher for teachers.

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