A new report published today by SuperAwesome highlights that parents plan to spend an average of US$455 on their kids’ back-to-school needs, up US$11 from last year. 

The London-based market insights firm surveyed more than 1,000 kids and parents across the US for its Back-to-School 2025 study, which outlines several spending habits and consumer trends for brand owners to look out for this year. 

According to the report, this year’s back-to-school shopping season is expected to generate US$84 billion worldwide. And most parents (79%) say they plan to start shopping at the start of the summer break, signaling to IP owners that sales are trending earlier as consumers constantly hunt for new deals. 

A majority of parents (61%) say their children point them towards new brands and products to buy for school, and 64% of these purchase decisions are made together. Backpacks are at the top of this year’s shopping list, with 57% of respondents planning to buy one, followed by other essential purchases like clothing (50%), personal care items (43%) and water bottles (41%). 

Digital channels are the most effective way to promote new products, with 37% of the survey’s respondents reporting that they’ve purchased a back-to-school item because they saw a video about it online. This is followed closely by peer influence (34%), in-store discovery (32%), TV ads (26%) and influencer marketing (22%).