D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Back-to-school - statistics & facts
As students in the United States brace themselves to say goodbye to their summer freedom and head back to school, parents are bracing themselves to say goodbye to their paycheck. During 2024's back-to-school (BTS) shopping season, which typically takes place in the summer and early autumn, American parents, guardians, and children were planning to spend an estimated total of nearly 40 billion U.S. dollars. In the last two years, back-to-school expenditures were expected to be higher than ever. For 2024 specifically, this would equate to roughly 875 U.S. dollars in school supply expenses per American household.
The back-to-class season has gotten more expensive over time, with consumers spending close to twice as much as they used to back in the mid-2000s. In fact, consumers spent more during the back-to-school season than they did during the winter holidays in 2023, a trend that could continue for 2024 and beyond.
What are parents buying?
Some of the most common educational necessities bought by guardians of school children include clothing and accessories, as well as school supplies, such as books, pens, backpacks, and more. Over the years, however, the number of people buying school-necessitated electronics has increased significantly: on average, about 70 percent parents in the United States planned to buy computer-related equipment in 2023, an increase of nearly 15 percent compared to a decade earlier. Parents tend to spend a considerable amount on tech products during the back-to-school season, but in 2024, clothing and related accessories took up the lion's share of parents' budget.School costs and inflation
When asked how much of a role inflation would play in regard to their back-to-school shopping plans, approximately two-thirds of surveyed consumers said it would impact them more in 2024, compared to the previous year. Nearly none of the respondents surveyed were convinced inflation would impact them less that year. As a result of the state of the economy, many back-to-school shoppers planned to implement money-saving strategies. For instance, about 40 percent of parents intended to do more comparative shopping online and to shop more during sales periods.The back-to-class season has gotten more expensive over time, with consumers spending close to twice as much as they used to back in the mid-2000s. In fact, consumers spent more during the back-to-school season than they did during the winter holidays in 2023, a trend that could continue for 2024 and beyond.
