For Delaware parents, the annual back-to-school scramble for backpacks, notebooks and new clothes comes with an unwelcome lesson this year: getting children ready for school is significantly more expensive.
From classroom supplies to laptops and dorm-room furniture, nearly everything costs more than it did just a few years ago. National surveys show families are responding by shopping earlier, chasing sales, reusing supplies and, in some cases, simply buying less.
"It's going to follow the trend," says Darcy Hamill, a mother of two from Wilmington. "Food costs more. Energy costs more. Things for school will cost more."
The numbers back her up. Parents expect to spend an average of about $922 on back-to-school shopping this year, according to PwC, while the National Retail Federation estimates total household spending will range from $864 to $922, depending on family circumstances. JLL reports parents plan to increase their back-to-school budgets by nearly 12% over last year.
Overall, the cost of preparing students for school now runs about 40% higher than it did in 2019, compared to overall inflation of 30% for the same timeframe.
The spending doesn't end after the first day of school. PwC estimates families will shell out another $635 each month during the academic year for recurring expenses such as lunches, snacks, school fees, tutoring and extracurricular activities, underscoring that back-to-school shopping is only the first installment of a much larger expense.
The result is a shopping season expected to generate $85.4 billion in U.S. retail sales, according to EMARKETER, with brick-and-mortar stores accounting for about $53 billion and online purchases another $32 billion.
Hamill's 8-year-old daughter Bianca will enter third grade this fall in the Spanish immersion program at Marbrook Elementary School. Her shopping list includes pencils, markers and notebooks, but Bianca is looking forward to another annual tradition.
"Dresses," she says. "Blue, purple, pink."
Like many parents, Hamill plans a hybrid approach to shopping. She'll order some items online from Amazon before making a single trip to Target later this summer to finish the family's purchases.
"When I go to stores I'm a one-fell-swoop shopper," she says.
Her strategy reflects a growing trend. Nearly one-third of parents already had started browsing and buying by early June, the highest percentage since the NRF began tracking early shopping in 2018. Most households now finish their shopping anywhere from two weeks to two months before school begins, hoping to spread out expenses and take advantage of promotions before popular items sell out.
But even careful planning isn't enough to offset higher prices.
Rather than simply absorbing the additional cost, families are changing the way they shop. JLL found that two-thirds of parents will aggressively hunt for sales and coupons, while 43% expect to buy fewer items than they otherwise would. More than one-quarter plan to reuse school supplies from last year, 21% will switch to less expensive or store brands and 14% expect to purchase secondhand items. Among parents concerned about inflation, one in three say they will combine three or more money-saving strategies to stay within budget.
Price has become the dominant factor in purchasing decisions.
PwC found that more than half of back-to-school purchases are driven by school supply lists and discounts. Nearly 60% of parents say their children's preferences influence what they buy, but budgets usually determine what ultimately goes into the shopping cart.
Even so, kids still have considerable clout in decision making. Nearly one-third of parents report their children want name-brand or trend-driven products, while 26% say they will need to upgrade technology.
Those technology purchases will be more expensive this year
Apple recently raised prices on several iPad and Mac models by as much as $300. Its entry-level MacBook Neo, introduced in March at $599, now carries a $699 retail price following June increases, although students can still purchase it for $599 through Apple's Education Store. Unlike higher-priced MacBook Air models, the MacBook Neo is not expected to qualify for Apple's seasonal back-to-school promotion, which typically includes a free accessory bundle.
What was once largely a season for backpacks, crayons and lunch boxes has evolved into a much broader retail event that includes laptops, headphones, dorm furniture and other technology. College-bound students now account for more than 42% of all back-to-school retail spending, according to EMARKETER.
Retailers have responded by rolling out promotions earlier than ever.
Walmart and Target began advertising dorm-room merchandise in June while also promoting deep discounts on school supplies. Amazon waged a full-court press with Prime Days that same month. Walmart expects nearly 80% of parents to shop its stores this season, according to JLL, and has expanded its online school-list lookup tool that lets shoppers search by ZIP code for teacher-approved supply lists.
Target, meanwhile, is emphasizing affordability and fashion. "Our back-to-school assortment has more trend-forward style, great design and unrivaled value than ever before," Cara Sylvester, the retailer's chief merchandising officer, said in a statement.
Dollar stores have also climbed into the top 10 back-to-school shopping destinations as families seek lower prices. Dollar General is pricing more than 70 school-related items at $1 or less and offering teachers 30% off stationery products through Sept. 7.
“The back-to-school season can put pressure on household and classroom budgets, especially when everything is needed at once,” Steve O’Brien, Dollar General vice president and division merchandise manager, said in a statement.
Expect lots of doorbusters as merchants vie for consumer dollars. At Walmart, a pack of six composition notebooks is priced at $2.28; a box of 24 sharpened lead pencils goes for 92 cents; and a pack of 10 Crayola markers is 97 cents.
At Target, girls’ Performance uniform skirts are marked down to $10. Boys’ Uniform polo shirts are $10.50. Backpacks for high schoolers are offered in a variety of sizes and styles, starting at $28 up to $89.
At Staples, Sentry noise-canceling over-the-head earphones are discounted to $4.99. Elmer’s washable glue is 75 cents for a 4-ounce bottle. A snap-top plastic pencil case is marked down from $6.19 to 99 cents.
Despite the convenience of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores remain an important part of the back-to-school tradition. PwC found that 70% of parents still expect to shop in stores with their children, although that's down from last year.
For Gillian Johnson of Wilmington, back to school shopping is an enjoyable family outing rather than a burdensome chore. She and her daughters, Lindsey and Madison, are looking forward to sharing special time.
"We make our lists, we get in the car and make a day of it in the stores," she says. "Halfway through we stop and have a nice lunch."
