Back to school spending is projected to reach $52.6 billion in the US this year. Nearly 80% of shoppers now use mobile devices for these purchases, while almost two-thirds research products online before buying in stores.
Key Takeaways
- 135.5 million US students were enrolled in preschool through grade 12 in fall 2023, representing the primary back-to-school consumer base
- 26.6 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools in the United States in fall 2023, underpinning demand for school supplies and apparel
- US consumer spending on education services was $1.0 trillion in 2023 (BEA), supporting education-related purchases beyond retail
- $52.6 billion in US back-to-school spending was estimated for 2024, including apparel, electronics, and school supplies
- $40.3 billion of US back-to-school spending was estimated for 2023 (including school supplies, clothing, and electronics), indicating the market’s scale
- School-district technology spending reached $31.3 billion in 2024 (projected), supporting device and software purchases tied to back-to-school
- $3.8 billion was spent on school supplies in the US in 2023 (sales estimate), a key subset of back-to-school retail
- The US CPI for apparel increased 2.8% year over year in August 2023 (BLS), affecting clothing affordability during back-to-school
- The US CPI for school supplies increased 3.5% year over year in August 2023 (BLS component), capturing direct inflation pressure
- 79% of shoppers used mobile devices for online shopping during 2024 (survey), aligning with mobile commerce for back-to-school purchases
- 63% of US shoppers reported researching products online before buying in-store (2023/2024 survey), supporting omnichannel behavior
- US ecommerce accounted for 14.4% of total retail sales in 2023 (US Census ecommerce share), providing context for online back-to-school growth
- Cart abandonment averaged 69% for ecommerce in 2023 (industry survey), reflecting friction in back-to-school purchasing flows
With 135.5 million US students fueling about $52.6 billion in 2024 back-to-school spending, mobile and online research drive purchases.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
135.5 million US students were enrolled in preschool through grade 12 in fall 2023, representing the primary back-to-school consumer base[1]
02
26.6 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools in the United States in fall 2023, underpinning demand for school supplies and apparel[1]
03
US consumer spending on education services was $1.0 trillion in 2023 (BEA), supporting education-related purchases beyond retail[2]
04
The school lunch program served about 30.3 million children per day in school year 2022-23 (USDA), enabling demand for associated school items[3]
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With 135.5 million US students enrolled from preschool through grade 12 in fall 2023 and education services spending reaching $1.0 trillion in 2023, the back-to-school market is driven by a very large, sustained consumer base rather than a narrow retail moment.
02 · Category
Industry Trends9 stats
01
$52.6 billion in US back-to-school spending was estimated for 2024, including apparel, electronics, and school supplies[4]
02
$40.3 billion of US back-to-school spending was estimated for 2023 (including school supplies, clothing, and electronics), indicating the market’s scale[5]
03
School-district technology spending reached $31.3 billion in 2024 (projected), supporting device and software purchases tied to back-to-school[6]
04
64% of teachers reported using digital tools for instruction at least weekly (survey), increasing demand for student-facing materials during back-to-school[1]
05
Back-to-school season accounted for 10% of annual retail sales for some apparel categories (industry analysis), highlighting seasonal concentration[7]
06
2.6 billion emails were used for marketing campaigns in 2023 (ESP/industry figure), enabling retailer back-to-school direct-response[8]
07
USDA reported 76% of participating schools used the Offer vs Serve (OVS) option in 2022-23 (program data), affecting student meal patterns around start of term[3]
08
$20.9 billion in US consumer spending on school-related purchases was estimated for 2024 (retail analyst estimate), representing a broad back-to-school bundle[9]
09
$16.2 billion in US spending on electronics for school in 2023 (estimate), underpinning laptop/tablet accessory categories[10]
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the industry trends behind back-to-school shopping, US spending is expected to rise from $40.3 billion in 2023 to $52.6 billion in 2024 while digital adoption is accelerating with 64% of teachers using digital tools weekly and school-district technology spending projected at $31.3 billion, signaling that retailers are shifting toward more tech-forward student experiences and offerings.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
$3.8 billion was spent on school supplies in the US in 2023 (sales estimate), a key subset of back-to-school retail[11]
02
The US CPI for apparel increased 2.8% year over year in August 2023 (BLS), affecting clothing affordability during back-to-school[12]
03
The US CPI for school supplies increased 3.5% year over year in August 2023 (BLS component), capturing direct inflation pressure[12]
04
Retailers reported 6-10% average promotional discounting during back-to-school in 2023 (industry retail pricing analysis), lowering prices paid[13]
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For Cost Analysis, back-to-school shoppers in the US faced rising expenses as school supply spending reached $3.8 billion in 2023 while CPI for school supplies climbed 3.5% year over year and apparel rose 2.8% in August 2023, partially offset by retailers offering 6 to 10% average promotional discounts.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
79% of shoppers used mobile devices for online shopping during 2024 (survey), aligning with mobile commerce for back-to-school purchases[14]
02
63% of US shoppers reported researching products online before buying in-store (2023/2024 survey), supporting omnichannel behavior[15]
03
US ecommerce accounted for 14.4% of total retail sales in 2023 (US Census ecommerce share), providing context for online back-to-school growth[16]
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption in back-to-school shopping, the data shows shoppers are increasingly going digital with 79% using mobile devices for online purchases in 2024 and 63% researching online before buying in-store.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics1 stats
01
Cart abandonment averaged 69% for ecommerce in 2023 (industry survey), reflecting friction in back-to-school purchasing flows[17]
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Cart abandonment hit an average 69% in 2023 ecommerce back to school shopping, showing that the biggest performance bottleneck is friction in the purchasing flow rather than demand.
report visual · Key figures
Back-to-School Market Size: Then vs. Now
US back-to-school spending expands from 2023 to 2024, indicating sustained—and growing—retail demand.
$40.3 billion
$40.3 billion of US back-to-school spending was estimated for 2023 (including school supplies, clothing, and electronics
$52.6 billion
$52.6 billion in US back-to-school spending was estimated for 2024, including apparel, electronics, and school supplies
$20.9 billion
$20.9 billion in US consumer spending on school-related purchases was estimated for 2024 (retail analyst estimate), repr
$3.8 billion
$3.8 billion was spent on school supplies in the US in 2023 (sales estimate), a key subset of back-to-school retail
$31.3 billion
School-district technology spending reached $31.3 billion in 2024 (projected), supporting device and software purchases
source-verifiedcorporate.mattel.com · cnbc.com · packagedfacts.com · statista.com · growththroughinnovation.com2024
Reference
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APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Back To School Shopping Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/back-to-school-shopping-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Back To School Shopping Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/back-to-school-shopping-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Back To School Shopping Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/back-to-school-shopping-statistics.