Parents are evolving their buying habits in 2025. Discover which products are trending, when shoppers are hitting stores (hint: it’s changing!), and gain actionable insights to position your business at the top of the class this season.
With economic uncertainty and shifting consumer behaviors shaping 2025, some exciting news has emerged about back-to-school sales. Read on to learn how parents are adapting their buying habits, what products are expected to be popular this year, and gain actionable insights to position yourself at the head of the class with your back-to-school sales strategy.
Economic concerns exist, but (good news) shoppers are determined
After years of disrupted shopping patterns, parents are showing remarkable resilience when it comes to back-to-school shopping in 2025. I mean, who doesn’t want their kids to have everything they need to succeed?
According to Deloitte’s annual Back-to-School Survey, parents are approaching their second-largest annual spending event with a note of restraint, given current economic conditions. However, PwC’s 2025 Back-to-School Survey found that nearly 3 in 4 back-to-school shoppers expect to spend the same or more on back-to-school shopping this fall, with more than 1 in 3 parents anticipating spending more than they did in 2024.
Parents appear confident they can replace clothing and refill backpacks by leaning on the savvy shopping habits they’ve honed during the past few years of high prices. Expected spending per child is holding steady at around $570 (similar to last year) as parents focus on essentials.
The total back-to-school market represents approximately $30.9 billion in potential sales - a significant opportunity for retailers who can appeal to the value-seeking consumer.
Gold star products for 2025
With economic pressures continuing to influence spending, back-to-school shopping is experiencing some notable shifts this year. Here are some products that are expected to get a gold star from parents in 2025…
⭐ Gold star: Technology products
Unlike in 2022 when tech spending was waning, technology has become a necessity for many families in 2025. According to PwC’s survey, 1 in 4 parents plan to spend more than $500 on technology for the back-to-school season. Wowza! That’s a significant chunk of the budget!
⭐ Gold star: Clothing and shoes
Clothing and shoes remain essential purchases, with 16% of parents planning to spend over $500 in this category, and another 29% planning to spend between $251-500. In fact, Deloitte’s survey found that 57% of parents can be enticed to splurge on a first-day-of-school outfit. Who doesn't love a great first impression, right?
⭐ Gold star: Value-conscious products
With economic concerns on their minds, parents are honing their value-seeking skills to keep budgets in check. Nearly half plan to spend the most at mass merchant retailers (46% versus 40% in 2024). They’re also planning to jump on mid-July promotions, spread out expenses over a longer period, and switch brands if their preferred brand is too expensive (75%, versus 67% in 2024).
The changing timeline of back-to-school shopping
Now, that’s what we like to call a significant shift! The back-to-school shopping season is stretching in 2025, becoming a multi-phase event rather than a concentrated shopping period.
According to Zeta’s survey of over 2,000 U.S. parents, September remains the top month for parents, with 35% planning to shop then (up from 22% in 2024). Similarly, 25% of parents now plan to shop in June, up significantly from 14% last year.
Meanwhile, 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 shoppers. Interesting, right?
For retailers, this means promotional calendars must adapt. A single “Back-to-School Sale” isn’t enough anymore. Instead, think of ...
- June as the awareness and early value phase
- July and August as product discovery and comparison
- September as the final decision-making crunch
How shoppers are buying in 2025
The way people shop is dramatically changing. Let's take a closer look at the key shifts shaping how consumers buy today ...
In-store vs. online vs. hybrid
In-store shopping continues to lead, with 33% of parents planning to head to physical locations in 2025. That’s down from 39% last year, but it still reflects a strong preference for tactile (gotta get a feel of the fabric and materials), in-person browsing.
Meanwhile, convenience channels are seeing significant growth:
- Curbside pickup jumped to 15.06% (from 9.45%)
- Home delivery rose to 15.88% (from 12.13%)
Interestingly, Gen Z parents are more likely than Millennials or Gen X to shop exclusively in-store, defying assumptions about digital-native habits. This suggests that Gen Z shoppers may be driving a brick-and-mortar renaissance rooted in tactile experience and brand engagement.
AI emerges as a shopping companion
Here’s something totally new for 2025: 1 in 5 back-to-school shoppers plan to use AI tools to find online deals. This shift speaks to rising comfort with AI among mainstream consumers and creates a growing imperative for retailers to enhance their digital channels and search visibility for AI-powered discovery.
How to be the top of class in 2025
Ensure your prices are competitive
With 75% of shoppers saying they'll switch brands if prices are too high (up from 67% in 2024), ensuring your prices are competitive is more critical than ever. So, make sure your prices sway shoppers to you and away from your competitors.
How to stay competitive
As you prepare for back-to-school shoppers, provide an audit on your current products and prices and compare them against your competition. Don’t know who your competition is? Here are a few steps to get started:
- Search keywords or phrases that describe your product(s) on the online marketplaces you use
- Create a list of all those selling similar products to yours
- Compare your product against your competitors (price, offering, etc.)
- Use that information to pivot your brand and set yourself apart with pricing, offering, etc.
Avoid going out-of-stock
One of the major concerns for back-to-school shopping this year is that items will be out-of-stock. Make sure you don’t run out of stock and lose out on sales.
How to avoid out-of-stock
It can be frustrating when you run out of stock and know you could have more sales. You can try preparing by performing manual cycle counts to identify stock losses early, but that can take precious time that you don’t have.
If this sounds familiar, inventory management software is a possible solution you might want to consider.
A software specializing in inventory management can make you feel like you added another employee to your team because it keeps your inventory accurate, and provides low stock alerts to avoid stock outages.
Conclusion
Even with economic uncertainties in 2025, back-to-school shopping remains a significant opportunity for retailers. The stress of this season as an e-commerce business can be overwhelming, but keep believing in yourself, your product, and your team - and you will succeed!
Stay on top by timing your promotions across the extended shopping season (June through September), embracing fulfillment flexibility, avoiding stock outages, and adapting to new shopping behaviors like AI-assisted deal hunting. The retailers who can appeal to value-seeking consumers while delivering convenience and selection will be the ones who make the grade this back-to-school season!
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