{"id":1572,"date":"2025-07-25T17:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T17:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ft365.org\/index.php\/2025\/07\/25\/what-back-to-school-shopping-tells-us-about-the-economy-and-consumers-bankrate\/"},"modified":"2025-07-25T17:57:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T17:57:14","slug":"what-back-to-school-shopping-tells-us-about-the-economy-and-consumers-bankrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ft365.org\/index.php\/2025\/07\/25\/what-back-to-school-shopping-tells-us-about-the-economy-and-consumers-bankrate\/","title":{"rendered":"What back-to-school shopping tells us about the economy and consumers | Bankrate"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Back-to-school shoppers are feeling better, but still not great, about what has become the second-biggest event on the annual retail calendar. This year, 30 percent of back-to-school shoppers say inflation is changing the way they shop, according to Bankrate\u2019s 2025 Back-to-School Survey<\/u>. On the positive side, that figure is down from 41 percent in 2022, when inflation peaked, and even from 32 percent in 2024. Still, that\u2019s a lot of people who continue to change their habits because of inflation.<\/p>\n

The National Retail Federation says the average kindergarten through 12th grade shopper will spend $858 this back-to-school season, down slightly from last year\u2019s record $875. That figure includes school supplies, clothing, shoes and electronics. While the burden isn\u2019t quite as hefty as it was last year, overall, prices have risen a cumulative 24 percent since Feb. 2020, a Bankate analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data<\/u> revealed.<\/p>\n

Our back-to-school survey reports that about half (49 percent) of back-to-school shoppers are employing one or more money-saving strategies this year, led by buying cheaper brands than usual (20 percent) and seeking more deals\/coupons than in the past (also 20 percent).<\/p>\n