According to PwC’s 2026 U.S. Consumer Survey on Back-to-School (BTS) shopping, parents expect to spend an average of $922 on back-to-school shopping this year. Nearly half (47 percent) expect to spend more than they did a year ago, a jump from 35 percent who said the same in last year’s survey. The consultancy also found kids and artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly playing a larger role in influencing and guiding back-to-school spending choices.
The survey of 2,080 adults ages 18 and older in the U.S. was taken between May 20 and 22.
PwC said back-to-school spending is “climbing,” although a year-ago comparison wasn’t available. The firm also implied that the increase could be due to inflation, noting that “the back-to-school shopping season has gotten pricey.”
Three out of four families are spending at least $100 on clothing and shoes, averaging $278 per household, more than twice what they spend on actual school supplies (such as backpacks, notebooks, binders, pens and pencils, etc.). Technology spend (such as laptops, tablets, calculators, headphones, and fitness wearables) is second, at $222 per household.
Most back-to-school spending decisions are made within a tight window: 71 percent of families complete their back-to-school purchases between two weeks and two months before the start of school.
Kids’ Increasingly Influencing Back-To-School Spending
Kids were found to be the biggest factor influencing back-to-school spending, cited by 58 percent of parents. According to the survey, students of all ages (pre-K through high school) are shaping clothing, shoes, and school supply choices. Nearly a third (32 percent) of parents say their children request name-brand or trend-driven items, while 26 percent report needing to upgrade their kids’ technology. Half of high school parents say their child influences tech purchases, compared to less than a quarter of middle school parents.
Of the parents surveyed, 61 percent allow their children some level of direct participation in online shopping. Forty percent give kids their own access to add items, while 31 percent use linked or shared family accounts. PWC stated, “As kids gain more direct access, retailers have an opening to design shopping experiences that put privacy and parental controls front and center.”
As far as channel preferences, 70 percent of parents plan to shop in-store this year, down from 79 percent a year ago, a nine-point drop in a single season. Major online marketplaces will see activity from 67 percent of parents, while 49 percent will shop directly on brand or retailer websites. Of the parents surveyed, 23 percent plan to shop through social media or influencer recommendations, and the same percentage will find deals using AI, a channel that didn’t meaningfully exist in last year’s back-to-school season.
All told, 73 percent of families will use AI one way or another during the back-to-school shopping process, whether researching brands, comparing products, budgeting, or something else.
PWC concluded, “For retailers, the takeaway is clear. Winning back-to-school shoppers means understanding everything that shapes their choices – from school requirements and household budgets to the social platforms, peer networks, and AI tools that increasingly suggest to students what they want before they ever walk into a store or open an app.”
Charts courtesy PWC
