Source: eMarketer, February 2023
Note: excludes products or services ordered using the internet; sales are for the period in Q3 before the start of school each year among households with a child under 18 present and/or adults ages 18 to 24 attending post-secondary education
Additional Note: Grades K-12 retail back-to-school season sales include apparel and accessories, office equipment and supplies, and computers and consumer electronics. College-bound retail back-to-school season sales include apparel and accessories, office equipment and supplies, computers and consumer electronics, furniture and home furnishings, health/personal care/beauty, books/music/video, and food and beverages. eMarketer benchmarks its US total retail sales figures against US Department of Commerce data from 2020 onward. The last full year measured was 2022.
Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of data from US Department of Commerce, estimates from other research firms, historical trends, consumer buying trends, and macro-level economic conditions.