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Consumer spending for the 2025 back-to-school shopping season will slow for the second year in a row as growth aligns with full-year retail. Ecommerce and K-12-focused purchases will drive overall spending.

Gaming audiences are a powerful force in back-to-school shopping, influencing both digital and in-store purchases. Activision Blizzard Media鈥檚 latest research reveals how this often-overlooked group鈥攎any of them parents鈥攁re planning early, spending big, and responding to mobile-first ads.

The back-to-school season generates revenues brands and retailers count on, as the second-highest shopping volume of the year ahead of holiday. This year, though, back-to-school growth will be harder to come by as spending in key channels slows.

UK retail sales rose unexpectedly in September, thanks to the new iPhone and Oasis: Back-to-school shopping and entertainment spending boosted demand for non-essential items, although poor weather and consumer caution dented supermarket sales.

Sephora-related content resonated best with Gen Z consumers, but legacy brands like Neutrogena struggled to maintain relevance. Cultural moments like Pride and back-to-school drove Q3 UGC, while video tutorials on platforms like TikTok provide more effective ways for brands to connect with Gen Z. Here are four insights into how beauty brand-related, UGC performed among Gen Z consumers in Q3, according to research firm dcdx鈥檚 Gen Z's Top 50 Beauty Brands Report Q3 2024.

Shoppers will first feel the pinch in back-to-school aisles. A child hoping for a blue backpack may have to settle for a red one. The strain will also be evident when shopping for higher-ticket items like strollers鈥攏early all of which are manufactured in China鈥攚here limited supply will likely translate to steeper prices. The pressure could crescendo during the holiday season.

A strong digital presence drove Nordstrom Rack's Q2 growth, while Crocs hopes to revitalize its HEYDUDE brand by focusing on a younger, female audience. Holliseter is leveraging back-to-school promotions and targeted marketing initiatives to reintroduce the brand to younger consumers.

Has holiday creep crept over the line? Brands risk turning off consumers by launching Christmas countdowns in August and offering pumpkin spice lattes before kids head back to school.

As ecommerce grows in back-to-school shopping (34.9% of total back-to school sales this year versus 33.5% in 2023), content creators are playing a pivotal role in how consumers find school supplies. This shift is driven by younger parents buying classroom supplies for K-12 children and college students outfitting their dorm rooms. Both groups favor online shopping for its convenience and the ability to compare prices, our analyst Sarah Marzano said in a recent edition of our 鈥淏ehind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail鈥� podcast.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss standout data points from this year鈥檚 back-to-school season, creators' role in this shopping period, and what back-to-school is trying to tell us about this year's upcoming holidays. Listen to the conversation with our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sarah Marzano and Zak Stambor.

Over three-quarters (77%) of US parents plan to visit mass merchant retailers for their back-to-school shopping, per a May 2024 survey from Deloitte.

The situation introduces additional volatility just as advertisers are heading into seasonal planning periods for back-to-school, holiday, and Q4 campaigns, which could drive more cautious investment. Our analysts are currently preparing an updated US Retail & Ecommerce forecast, slated for release in May, with revised global retail forecasts coming by late June.

Urban Outfitters and Pacsun are tapping into Pinterest and in-person experiences to get students and families shopping, while Meijer, Walmart, and Target are focused on value. Those are just a few brands that made our Unofficial Most Interesting Retailers List, Back-to-School Edition, for July 2024.

Its relaunched Pink brand is gaining traction with younger consumers after going viral on TikTok and hosting back-to-school events on college campuses. After trimming its assortment to focus on underwear and beauty products, Victoria鈥檚 Secret is getting back into apparel categories like activewear, which offer the brand additional opportunities to boost engagement and purchase frequency.