Why Americans are starting their back-to-school shopping earlier this year

The back-to-school season may seem at least a month away on the calendar, but for a majority of American families, it's already begun.

Two-thirds of back-to-school shoppers have already started buying clothing and supplies ahead of the new school year — a 55% increase on the level of early purchases last year.

That's according to a new survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), which indicates that students and their parents are getting an early start on shopping this year, hunting for deals as they navigate economic uncertainty. More than half of consumers surveyed, 51%, cited concerns over tariffs as the reason why they were starting school shopping earlier this year.

"Consumers are being mindful of the potential impacts of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school items, and have turned to early shopping, discount stores and summer sales for savings on school essentials," Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights, said in a statement.

The price of school supplies and books has already reached an all-time high, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis shows. However, consumers worry that the cost of items could go up even more once the full brunt of President Trump's tariffs take effect.

Mr. Trump recently announced on Truth Social that he would place steep tariffs on over 20 countries, starting on Aug. 1. The levies could directly impact the cost of apparel and other back-to-school items like electronics that are imported from abroad.

In its report, the NRF predicts families will spend a total of $128.2 billion on supplies this year, up from $125.4 billion last year. The increase, however, reflects an increase in the number of consumers shopping for back-to-school supplies, and not individual spending, which is expected to be lower this year.

Families with students in kindergarten through high school plan to spend an average of $858.07 on school-related items this year, down from $874.68 in 2024, according to the study. College students and their parents also plan to spend less this year — an average of $1,325.85, down from $1,364.75 in 2024.

Four in five shoppers said they were planning their shopping around July back-to-school sales to maximize their budgets, the NRF report found.

With inflation and tariffs top of mind for many consumers, stores are already promoting back-to-school discounts to lure shoppers.

"As shoppers look for the best deals on clothes, notebooks and other school-related items, retailers are highly focused on affordability and making the shopping experience as seamless as possible," NRF's Cullen said.

Amazon, Target and Walmart are each offering back-to-school summer sales to entice customers. Amazon last week completed its four-day Prime Day event, which offered thousands of deals on everything from backpacks to dorm furnishings to laptops.

Walmart on Tuesday announced lower prices on 14 of the most popular back-to-school supplies compared with last year. A survey by the retail giant found that 70% of its customers said they planned to spend more time this year searching for discounts.

"Regardless of income, families want to ensure their students are set up for success," said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at analytics firm Prosper, said in a statement. "They are cutting back in other areas, using buy now, pay later or buying used or refurbished items to have everything they need for the school year."

• Tariffs
• College
• Education