What, if anything, has changed for shoppers in the back to school period this year?
As families prepare for the new school year, back-to-school remains one of the most planned shopping occasions in the calendar. While many of the core behaviours seen in previous years remain firmly in place, the 2026 data suggests shoppers are becoming increasingly focused on managing budgets and making the most of what they already have.
At the same time, convenience continues to play a vital role, with shoppers looking for easy ways to complete the back-to-school mission and get ready for the return to routine.
Planning continues to play a key role in the back-to-school mission
Back-to-school shopping continues to be a carefully considered event for many households. Four in five shoppers (79%) say they plan what they want to buy before heading to store or shopping online, a one percentage point increase compared to 2025.
However, shoppers are becoming more selective about where they spend. Seven in ten (79%) say they shop around different stores for back-to-school purchases, up from 76% last year. This suggests that while shoppers continue to plan ahead, they are increasingly willing to compare retailers in search of the best products, prices and promotions.
Budget management is becoming more important
In 2026, six in ten shoppers (62%) said they had a set budget for back-to-school shopping, a drop from seven in ten (69%) in 2025. While fewer shoppers may have set budgets, they are continuing to show a strong draw to reuse items from the prior year - with 67% of shoppers indicating they will reuse items instead of buying new ones.
Perceived value remains important, and there has been a marginal increase in the number of shoppers only looking to buy items on special offer, 46% of shoppers, an increase of two percentage points compared to 2025.
Despite the draw of monetary value, convenience continues to be valued
While value is clearly important, shoppers are not willing to sacrifice convenience.
Over seven in ten shoppers (75%) say they prefer all back-to-school products to be located in one place in-store, up slightly from 74% in 2025. This reinforces the importance of clear seasonal displays and joined-up merchandising that helps families complete their shop quickly and efficiently.
Although shoppers prefer all products in one store to be located together, shoppers are increasingly planning to visit multiple stores. Almost eight in ten (79%) shoppers plan to shop around at different stores, compared to 76% in 2025.
As shoppers balance busy schedules with the return to school routines, making the mission easy to navigate remains a key opportunity for retailers.
In-store continues to lead
Despite ongoing growth in online shopping, shoppers still favour stores for back-to-school purchasing. Preference for shopping in-store dropped slightly from 2025, with 61% of shoppers preferring to shop in-store for back to school.
The ability to browse, compare options and complete several shopping missions in a single trip continues to make physical stores the preferred destination.
Children remain influential, but inspiration is expanding
School food decisions remain a family affair. Eight in ten shoppers (80%) say they involve their child or children in food choices for school.
This is similar to trends observed last year and remains the highest-ranking shopper attitude measured and highlights the influence children continue to have on purchasing decisions.
Alongside this, over half (54%) of shoppers are seeking lunchbox inspiration through social media, up from 49% in 2025. This suggests parents are not only responding to their children's preferences but are also actively looking for new ideas to help keep lunchboxes interesting, convenient and balanced.
Packed lunches remain central
When it comes to school food, packed lunches continue to be the dominant option. Almost three-quarters (73%) of shoppers say their child will or might take a packed lunch from home, making it the most popular school lunch option.
However, affordability of healthy lunchboxes is a challenge. The number of shoppers who think a healthy lunchbox is just as affordable as unhealthy lunchbox items has fallen, dropping three percentage points to 56%. Retailers and manufacturers should continue to focus on improving healthiness of lunchbox food and drink to provide reassurance to parents as they pack their children off to school.
For more insight into other events across the year, read our Opportunities for Events 2026 report or contact [email protected] for more information.