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SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
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Key stat: Inflation-adjusted back-to-school spend has fallen to $557 per child in 2026, wiping out the entire pandemic-era run-up and landing just $38 above 2019 levels, according to a May survey from Deloitte. |
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Beyond the chart: |
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Parents are not cutting the whole basket, they are cutting the fun half. Discretionary items dropped to about 56% of back-to-school budgets from roughly 60% a year earlier, and inflation-worried families earning under $50,000 spend about $188 less per child than unworried peers in the same bracket,
according to JLL. -
Thinner real budgets are also changing how parents pay. Some 45% of families expect to use buy now, pay later for back-to-school purchases, up from 39% last year, and 44% say essentials are getting harder to afford,
according to Omnisend. |
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Use this chart: Drop this into planning meetings where flat nominal spend looks like stable demand. Four straight years of real decline reframe the number as shrinking purchasing power, and give you the benchmark to argue for value positioning, essentials-first assortments, and flexible payment options heading into Q4. |
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Related EMARKETER reports: |
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EMARKETER has over 3,000 charts visualizing trends across digital advertising, ecommerce growth, Gen Z behavior, and more. See how clients use them to add credibility to strategy presentations, enhance pitch decks with market insights, and attract and engage prospects. |
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