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Many American families are forging ahead with back-to-school shopping plans despite mounting economic pressure, according to PwC’s latest consumer survey. Even as US tariffs are one of the key factors driving up prices on imported goods like electronics and apparel, and recent shipping disruptions from China created some inventory concerns, parents are showing determination to maintain — or even increase their education-related shopping. This spending resilience suggests that retailers who manage inventory effectively and communicate value clearly will likely outperform during this important retail season. PwC's 2025 Back-to-School Survey found:
- Nearly 3 in 4 back-to-school shoppers expect to spend the same or more on back-to-school shopping this fall, offering little indication that inflationary fatigue is curbing demand. And more than 1 in 3 parents anticipate spending more than they did in 2024.
- While a mid-May “export rush” from China following a 90-day tariff rollback may create uneven inventory availability, many retailers should recover before peak back-to-school shopping season.
Beyond tariffs, many consumers are adapting with a new toolkit of behaviors and preferences, shifting where and how they choose to shop. For retailers and brands, these behavioral signals offer more than a snapshot of seasonal trends; they can provide a forward-looking lens into the evolving mindset of many American shoppers and highlight where opportunities exist to help deliver value in smarter, more targeted ways.
- AI emerges as a shopping companion: 1 in 5 back-to-school shoppers plan to use AI tools to find online deals — a shift that often speaks to rising comfort with AI among mainstream consumers. This helps create a growing imperative for retailers to enhance their digital channels and search visibility for AI-powered discovery.
- Gen Z leans into physical retail: Defying assumptions about digital-native habits, Gen Z parents are more likely than Millennials or Gen X to shop exclusively in-store. This is a trend previous PwC surveys have explored (including the 2024 holiday outlook), suggesting that Gen Z shoppers may be driving a brick-and-mortar renaissance rooted in tactile experience and brand engagement.
- While hybrid shopping (a mix of in-store and online) remains the dominant approach, Millennial (71%) and Gen X parents (73%) are significantly more online-oriented than Gen Z (57%) and Boomers (54%). Meanwhile, Gen Z (27%) and Boomer parents (30%) are more likely to stick with an in-store only approach.
More from PwC’s 2025 Back-to-School Survey
- Spending priorities: Technology leads the way. 1 in 4 parents plan to spend more than $500 on technology. Technology is becoming a necessity for many families.
What’s topping back-to-school budgets
| Spending... | More than $500 |
$251-500 |
$101-250 |
$51-100 |
Under $50 |
Technology |
25% |
15% |
10% |
8% |
42% |
Clothing and shoes |
16% |
29% |
27% |
11% |
17% |
Books and education materials |
7% |
13% |
15% |
16% |
49% |
School supplies |
6% |
9% |
22% |
25% |
37% |
*Note: Showing 4 choices out of 10 options.
Q: How much do you expect to spend on each of the following for the 2025-2026 back-to-school season? Please give your best estimate in dollars for each category.
Source: PwC’s 2025 Back-to-School Survey, base of 713 parents planning to spend for the 2025-2026 season.
- Not everyone is spending freely: For those cutting back, technology and clothing are often the top categories being cut back. Essentials like books/educational materials and school supplies remain more shielded.
- Ways to save: Prioritizing discounts (only buying items on sale) and shopping early are parents’ most common methods to save on back-to-school shopping. Value-conscious purchasing and reusing items are also popular.
- Income influences channel choice: Households earning $75K or more are nearly twice as likely to shop exclusively online (14%) as those earning less than $75K (8%). Conversely, families earning less than the median are almost twice as likely to shop exclusively in-store (30% vs. 17% of households earning $75K or more).
- Looking ahead to the holiday shopping season: Of those parents planning to spend less on back-to-school shopping, the majority aren’t yet tightening their everyday spending or planning to reduce what they spend during the holiday season.
About the survey
Between May 6 and May 8, 2025, PwC surveyed 1,198 parents.
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