Back-to-school shopping gets pricier for US families
Heading into the 2025 school year, families across the US are dealing with pricier back-to-school shopping.
Thanks to new tariffs on essentials, the National Retail Federation says total spending will reach $30.9 billion, with families shelling out about $570 per kid—making every notebook and backpack feel a bit more expensive.
Parents expect further price hikes
Because of these higher prices, most families are actually buying less this year—not saving more.
Items like backpacks and electronics have jumped in cost, so parents are starting their shopping earlier to try to beat further price hikes.
Stores like Walmart and Amazon have been raising prices as tariff-affected products hit shelves, and 72% of parents now expect supplies to cost even more.
Experts think we might see the real impact of all this as the season goes on.