Back-to-school shopping kicks off early as inflation shapes trends

Amid continuing financial uncertainty in the U.S., many consumers kicked off back-to-school shopping earlier than ever this year.

With lingering inflationary pressures and concerns over the possibility of price increases from the Trump administration’s tariffs on imports, more than two-thirds of the 7,580 shoppers surveyed by the National Retail Federation had already begun purchasing items for the upcoming school year as of early July, the organization found. That’s up from 55% last year. It also marks the most since the trade group began tracking early shopping in 2018.

Despite the current climate, parents seem confident they can refill backpacks and replace clothing by relying on budget-savvy shopping habits they’ve honed during the last few years of high prices.