2026 Back-To-School Marketing STudy

Study up on the need-to-know trends impacting back-to-school shopping this year.

Parents have more ways than ever to discover and purchase back-to-school products. Against a backdrop of elevated gas prices and other financial friction, they also have more tools to use for product evaluations and comparisons.

To study how parents (including primary caregivers) are approaching back-to-school shopping in 2026, Tinuiti surveyed 1,040 US adults with school age children in June 2026. The results reveal how key channels and platforms are playing into school purchases, and what parents are most looking for in the products they buy.

Most Parents Plan on Spending More Per Child During 2026 Back-to-School Shopping

For 59% of respondents, their per child expenses will mark an increase from last year, while just 11% will be spending less. Parents of college-age students are most likely to anticipate spending more per child on school-related purchases in the coming school year (70%), while the share of high school parents expecting to increase spending lags slightly below average (55%).

While most parents expect to spend more on back-to-school shopping, current economic conditions do stand to weigh on purchases. Most respondents believe that higher grocery prices (63%), gas prices (60%), and product prices (56%) are likely to negatively affect how much they spend for back-to-school shopping.

How will new channels and platforms play into the back-to-school shopping experience?

This report has everything you need to understand how parents are planning to shop for back-to-school products this year, including:

• What product attributes and characteristics are most important for parents considering purchases
• The role of AI and which platforms parents are most likely to turn to
• Which channels and platforms stand to drive back-to-school product discovery
• When parents are likely to make most of their back-to-school purchases