Back-to-school spending for K-12 students in 2025 should come in at $30.9 billion, or approximately $570 per student, close to 2024 spending for the occasion, according to business services firm Deloitte.
In Deloitte’s 2025 Back-to-School Survey, 83% of parents responding said their households are in a similar or worse financial situation than last year, and 54% expected the economy to weaken in the next six months.
Back-to-school shoppers surveyed plan to increase their spending on clothing and accessories, up 6% year over year, according to the Deloitte survey. Although they expect to increase spending on apparel and related items, with the total reaching $13.4 billion, survey respondents indicated they would spend less on technology, down 8%; school supplies, down 3%; and home and health products, including personal hygiene items and educational furniture, down 12%.
Mass merchants, at 83%, and online retailers, at 68%, came in as the top BTS retail destinations as consumers continue to seek value. Deloitte pointed out the survey data suggested the average spend of those consumers who shop primarily online will be $601, $100 more than that of those who plan to shop mostly in stores.
Younger parents are reshaping some expectations about back-to-school shopping, as 75% of Gen Z and 46% of Millennial parents plan to use social media as part of the task. Deloitte maintained that social media users spend 1.8 times what other shoppers shell out.
Amid consumer concerns about the economy and their finances, value appears to be especially important to K-12 parents this school year. They intend to focus on the essentials, trade down on brands and retailers, and spread out expenses over a more extended period of time, according to Deloitte. The $570 per student grade K-12 parents expect to spend during BTS 2025 is close to last year’s figure, but down $16 despite higher prices in most key product categories. As they approach the BTS shopping season, 52% of surveyed parents said they are anxious about the potential for higher prices on back-to-school items. The same percentage plans to cut back on other expenses, including dining out and entertainment, to make room in their budgets for back-to-school merchandise. Lower-income parents plan to spend 10% more year-over-year, while middle- and higher-income parents intend to spend 7% and 9% less, respectively, according to the survey.
As to timing, 61% of parents surveyed by Deloitte said they anticipated completing back-to-school shopping by the end of July, down from 66% in 2024, with 49% of parents planning to spread out their purchases over time. Still, 46% of parents said they would shop during mid-July promotional events such as Prime Day, the same proportion as in 2024.
Deloitte noted that, this year, K-12 parents surveyed intend to engage in a variety of value-seeking behaviors:
- 71% will wait longer for delivery to get lower or no shipping costs, with demand for standard shipping at 76% versus 63% in 2024.
- 26% will buy back-to-school items using cashback websites.
- 48% will save money by buying in bulk.
- 39% will buy smaller packs and replenish as needed.
- 75% will shift brands if their preferred label is too expensive versus 67% in 2024
- 65% will shop at more affordable retailers versus 62% in 2024.
- 50% will shop for private labels over name brands, flat year-over-year.
In announcing the survey results, Brian McCarthy, principal, Retail Strategy, Deloitte Consulting, said, “This year, parents are strategically approaching back-to-school shopping by spreading out purchases, leveraging promotions and shopping across multiple discount retailers to help them maximize their budgets. Value for the money is the top driver of retailer choice, and parents are increasingly willing to switch brands or retailers to find the best deals. Meanwhile, younger generations are embracing technology and social media to hunt for bargains, with Gen Z parents embracing social commerce, digital platforms and AI at a higher rate as they hone their value-seeking strategies.”
