Back-to-school shopping getting more stressful for parents | Retail Customer Experience
Omnichannel
Back-to-school shopping getting more stressful for parents
Nearly half of consumers, 48%, shopping for back-to-school items are projected to spend more this year with 13% spending less than in 2025.
Those are top findings from PayPal research that also revealed that over half of parents, 57%, view back-to-school shopping as stressful as holiday shopping and 53% stating it’s even more stressful than in 2025.
The survey was conducted by Morning Consult and polled 3,000 U.S. parents, according to a <a href="https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2026-07-22-Back-to-School-Shopping-Is-Becoming-the-New-Holiday-Season” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>press release.
Clothing and shoes remain the largest spending category, with nearly six in 10 parents expecting to spend between $100 and $500, while nearly one in five expect to spend more than $500 on apparel alone.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) say they would prefer one app where they can find deals, shop and pay, while 68% believe doing so would make back-to-school shopping less stressful.
More than half of parents (57%) said they’re more likely to shop with retailers that offer flexible payment options, while 56% say Buy Now, Pay Later helps them better manage back-to-school costs.
Retail – GeneralCustomer ExperienceOmnichannelPaymentsConsumer Behavior
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