Retailers prep for a big back-to-school season

Parents are on the hunt for back-to-school deals this year, but they’re also willing to spend significantly more than they did last year on pencils, highlighters and notebooks.

As inflation moderates, shoppers plan to spend 15.7% more on back-to-school items this year, with wealthier shoppers budgeting 21% more to get their kids ready to return, according to the Back-to-School Shopping report 2023 released earlier this month by real estate services company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

What’s more, 55.2% of shoppers said they are planning to spend more on back-to-school items this year, JLL found. But 69.5% of those surveyed said they will be on the hunt for late-summer deals.

The share of shoppers saying they’re heading to Walmart among their top three retailers for back-to-school items dipped slightly this year, at 58.6% compared to 63.5% in 2022. Amazon also saw a slight decline, with 46% of shoppers favoring the retail giant this year versus 50% last year. But Target picked up just under a percentage point, with 54.2% listing it as a top retailer in 2023 compared to 53.3% last year.

“By July, more than 60% of parents would have begun back-to-school shopping, but the most popular month for starting remains August,” the report noted.

Here are some ways retailers are trying to lure back-to-school shoppers this year:

Retail giant Walmart is selling this year’s back-to-school products at 2022 prices, saying families can pick up the 14 most popular school supplies for a total of $12.94. The retailer also added a classroom registry this year for educators so they can “plan, shop and share” their classroom wish lists. Plus, Walmart said it will offer “sensory friendly” shopping hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturdays through August to create “a quieter shopping environment that’s more enjoyable for customers who live with sensory disabilities.”

Looking to entice inflation-weary shoppers, Kroger this week announced its is stocking more than 250 school supplies for less than $3, plus a number of must-have items at $1 or less. The items are part of the grocer’s “Locked in Low prices” guarantee.

Target this year is expanding its Teacher Appreciation Event, which runs through Aug. 26, to give educators a one-time 20% discount in stores or online on a single shopping trip—not just limited to school supplies. College students who join the retailer’s Target Circle loyalty program can also receive a 20% discount for a stock-up trip.

In August, Carlisle, Pennsylvania-based grocer The Giant Company will host a series of free, virtual back-to-school workshops with the company’s team of dietitians. The classes will demonstrate how to create easy meals and snacks to fill lunchboxes, the grocer said.

For the first time, third-party delivery platform DoorDash is getting into the school-readiness game, launching a Back-to-School hub that features eight weeks of deals that started Wednesday. DoorDash users can take advantage of offers from retailers such as Aldi, Sprouts Farmers Market, Walgreens and more.

DoorDash also reported that the top-ordered grocery items during last year’s back-to-school rush included bananas, avocados, plums, whole milk, jalapeno peppers, broccoli, chicken noodle soup, shredded cheese blend, chocolate chip cookies and boxed macaroni and cheese.