We kick off our US Back to School 2026 series of reports by diving into proprietary survey findings on US consumers’ spending expectations for the BTS (back-to-school) season.

Read this report to find out!

• When will consumers start shopping for BTS, and how much will they spend?
• How is inflation impacting BTS 2026 shopping behavior?
• In which categories are consumers willing to shop resale?

Data in this research report include:

• When consumers will shop for BTS, 2026 vs. 2025
• How much consumers expect to spend on BTS per child
• How much consumers expect to spend on BTS compared to 2024—overall (in dollar and volume terms) and breakdowns by income, geography and school level
• The impacts of inflation and tariffs on BTS shopping
• Attitudes to BTS shopping—including spending on online learning tools, budget changes and openness to resale

Other relevant research:

The Coresight Research US Consumer Survey Databank provides additional insight into US consumer behaviors from our weekly surveys.

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