The average planned back-to-school spending per household in the United States gradually increased year-on-year, reaching about *** U.S. dollars in 2023. While this was an increase of over *** dollars since the beginning of the survey period in 2004, the numbers had begun to fall back down by 2024. That year, U.S. consumers planned to spend an average of *** U.S. dollars on back-to-school purchases. Spending breakdown In 2024, parents planned to spend the most on electronics or computer-related equipment, with average household spending expected to reach just over *** U.S. dollars. Although parents relied on several kinds of outlets for back-to-school supplies, the leading location for such items was online. More than **** of respondents planned to undertake their shopping there. Department stores stood in second place. Back-to-school vs. back-to-college spending While parents planned to spend hundreds of dollars to send their children back to school, college students and their families were willing to spend even more. In 2024, the average household spend for back-to-college was expected to equal more than ***** U.S. dollars.
This statistic shows the results of an online survey conducted in the United States from May 29 to June 5, 2020, in which 1,200 parents of school-aged children were asked when they would likely do their back-to-school shopping. During the survey, nine percent of the respondents said that they expected shop for school supplies earlier than July.
In 2024, about ** percent of parents planned to buy school supplies for their children during the back-to-school (BTS) season. While only about ** percent of shopping parents planned to buy electronics and computer-related gear for school purposes, it is what BTS shoppers typically spent the most on.
In 2024, parents expected to spend an average of just under *** U.S. dollars on back-to-school supplies per child, which is a very slight decrease compared to the previous year.
According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2023, the vast majority of back-to-school consumers planned to do their school supply shopping in either July or August. That year, just about *** in ** surveyed U.S. shoppers intended to primarily buy these goods in September.
In 2024, consumers in the United States were asked where they would do their back-to-school shopping. ** percent of respondents planned to undertake their back-to-school shopping through online retailers. Many also intended to visit department, discount, and clothing stores for their children's school supply needs.
Approximately 40 percent of U.S. consumers with children entering K-12 in the fall of 2024 were expecting to shop earlier this year, compared to last year's back-to-school season. Only about five percent said they would likely shop for school supplies later.
In 2023, more than **** of Americans shopping for back-to-school and back-to-college products specifically purchased snacks and school supplies for themselves or their children. About *** in five respondents surveyed in the United States bought electronics for school use that year.
This statistic shows the average dollar amount U.S. parents expected to spend on back-to-school items in 2024, broken down by category. In 2024, parents expected to spend on average 253 U.S. dollars on their children's back-to-school clothing and accessories.
This statistic depicts total combined planned back-to-school and back-to-college spending in the United States from 2007 to 2024. In 2024, total combined back-to-school and back-to-college expenditure in the United States amounted to more than *** billion U.S. dollars.
This statistic depicts total back-to-school spending in the United States from 2006 to 2024. In 2024, total planned back-to-school expenditure in the United States amounted to about **** billion U.S. dollars.
For the 2024 back-to-school shopping season, more than four in five parents in the United States said their child or children could convince them to splurge on must-have back-to-school brands and/or products.
Over two-thirds of American households with children entering K-12 in the fall of 2024 were expecting rising prices to impact them more this year compared to last year. In contrast, just two percent of respondents surveyed said they expected inflation to impact their back-to-school shopping less this time around.
This statistic presents total planned U.S. consumer expenditure on back-to-college school supplies from 2007 to 2024. For the 2024 school year, U.S. consumers planned to spend approximately *** billion U.S. dollars on college supplies.
This statistic features the amount U.S. consumers planned to spend on back-to-college school supplies from 2007 to 2024. In 2024, customers in the U.S. planned to spend about ***** U.S. dollars on average on back-to-college school supplies.
In 2022, parents shopping for back-to-school supplies in the United States were putting a heavier emphasis on saving money than in previous years. For example, over a third of surveyed U.S. shoppers said they would be buying more generic and store brand products this year, which is an increase of nearly ** percent compared to 2021's back-to-school shopping season.
Back-to-school supplies
During the back-to-school shopping season, parents in the United States tend to buy anything from your typical schoolwork necessities, such as pencil cases, bags, and books, to new clothes and shoes. Increasingly, however, children and teenagers also need computer-related equipment for school, and these items can be quite costly. In 2022, U.S. shoppers expected to spend an average of nearly *** U.S. dollars on electronics during the back-to-school season.
Inflation in 2022
In 2022, the world was hit with a wave of inflation, a wave that also impacted consumption habits in the United States. According to a survey conducted in early March, approximately half of U.S. consumers felt the impact of rising costs on their ability to pay bills and buy basic necessities. As such, it comes to no surprise that a large share of Americans became hesitant to spend money like they used to, which is why many are holding off on common expenses like dining out and buying new clothes.
In 2024, consumers in the United States were expected to spend a total of approximately **** billion U.S. dollars on clothing and accessories during the back-to-school shopping season. Total spending on electronic gadgets for school, as well as computer and hardware goods, was expected to reach about **** billion U.S. dollars that year.
Over one in five surveyed U.S. parents with children entering K-12 in the fall of 2024 planned on going to Walmart for their back-to-school supply shopping. Target and Dollar Tree were the second and third-most popular choices, with about 20 and 10 percent of survey respondents stating they were likely to shop there, respectively.
In 2024, roughly ******* of parents planned to use social media to assist them during their back-to-school shopping. At ** percent, 2023 had a lower share of U.S. consumers using social media for such purposes, compared to the last few years.
When asked about the preferred shopping channel to buy school supplies in Mexico in 2020, around ********** of parents surveyed said that they planned to purchase such items in physical stores. The remaining ** percent reported to be willing to buy school supplies for their children through the internet. The sales revenues of this type of products was estimated to suffer a strong decline during the back-to-school season in Mexico that year.
The average planned back-to-school spending per household in the United States gradually increased year-on-year, reaching about *** U.S. dollars in 2023. While this was an increase of over *** dollars since the beginning of the survey period in 2004, the numbers had begun to fall back down by 2024. That year, U.S. consumers planned to spend an average of *** U.S. dollars on back-to-school purchases. Spending breakdown In 2024, parents planned to spend the most on electronics or computer-related equipment, with average household spending expected to reach just over *** U.S. dollars. Although parents relied on several kinds of outlets for back-to-school supplies, the leading location for such items was online. More than **** of respondents planned to undertake their shopping there. Department stores stood in second place. Back-to-school vs. back-to-college spending While parents planned to spend hundreds of dollars to send their children back to school, college students and their families were willing to spend even more. In 2024, the average household spend for back-to-college was expected to equal more than ***** U.S. dollars.