This year’s back-to-school season started earlier than any on record, according to the National Retail Federation—and price still drives how, where, and when people buy.
That turns back-to-school shopping into a longer and more deliberate retail season. Families start early, compare prices across stores, and wait to see which retailer offers the best deal before they buy.
About one-third of back-to-school shoppers had already started browsing and buying by early June, the highest share NRF has recorded. By early July, 55% of back-to-school and college shoppers had begun buying for the coming school year. This data tell an important story about the 2026 consumer: Shoppers are getting into the market early, but they’re willing to wait.
Comparing Prices, Not Just Clicking “Buy”
This year, 78% of shoppers said they expected to see higher prices on back-to-school items.
Price consciousness shows up directly in shopping behavior. About one-third of back-to-school shoppers say they typically plan their purchases around summer sales. NRF also found that consumers are doing more comparative shopping across retailers or checking whether the same items are cheaper at discount stores.
For many families, that might mean spotting a backpack at one retailer, checking the prices elsewhere, and then waiting to see if any store puts it on sale. The same process can play out across dozens of purchases, from pencils and notebooks to sneakers and laptops.
Families with children in primary and secondary school expect to spend an average of $874.68 this year on clothing, supplies, and electronics for school. Total back-to-school spending is projected to reach $38.8 billion, the second-highest level in NRF survey history.
In NRF’s most recent full survey, 86% of shoppers still had at least half their list left to complete as of early July. The top reason, cited by 45% of respondents, was deliberately waiting for better deals before buying. And 85% of back-to-school shoppers said they were leaning on Prime Day and other summer sales events specifically to knock out classroom staples.
Retailers Meet Shoppers Where They Are
That comparison-shopping mindset lines up with a retail calendar that’s given families more chances to shop around than ever. Amazon’s Prime Day, Walmart Deals, and Target Circle Deal Days, clustered in the same June–July window, effectively turned early summer into a price-comparison season of its own.
For shoppers, overlapping sales make it easier to compare products in real time, weighing price against factors like shipping speed, loyalty benefits, and convenience.
Retailers are responding to budget-conscious families by running promotions across the summer rather than saving discounts for a single back-to-school weekend. The traditional seasonal shopping calendar is stretching, and retailers have to compete for consumers who are increasingly comfortable waiting for the next promotion.
Not every shopper has the luxury of time, though. For families who had to wait until the last minute or whose school supply lists arrived later than expected, speed matters as well. Fast, reliable fulfillment options like same-day delivery, buy-online-pickup-in-store, and guaranteed arrival dates can be the deciding factor for shoppers racing to beat the first day of school.
Where consumers shop also reflects the hunt for value. Online retailers remain the most popular back-to-school destination, used by 50% of shoppers, followed by department stores at 35% and discount stores at 31%.
The mix matters. Today’s shopper isn’t necessarily choosing between online and in-store shopping. They use both – researching products, comparing prices, and then buying wherever the value is strongest.
Back-to-School Time Is Becoming a Season of Research
For retailers, the lesson from the 2026 back-to-school season is that getting shoppers through the door – or onto a website – is only part of the challenge.
Consumers have more information, more promotional events, and more opportunities to compare. Starting earlier gives them even more time to decide whether a price is worth paying or whether a better deal may be around the corner.
The industry winners this back-to-school season may be the retailers that make those decisions easiest: clear prices, competitive promotions, convenient fulfillment, and enough value to convince a shopper to stop comparing and finally click “buy.”
Families may be starting their back-to-school shopping earlier than ever, but that doesn’t mean they’re in a hurry to pay the first price they see.
Image via Unsplash.