What's Inside

Continuing our US Back to School 2024 series of reports, we present our retail outlook for the back-to-school (BTS) season, including our spending projections.

What should retailers expect this season? Discover the consumer context and its implications for retail to get a step ahead.

Data in this research report include:

• Estimated US BTS consumer spending, by category, 2020–2024E
• Year-over-year (YoY) change in US retail sales—actual and projected, May 2023–May 2025E
• Latest figures for leading indicators of US retail sales, including wages, unemployment rate, savings rate
• Inflation—YoY change in US consumer prices for selected retail categories
• Proprietary US consumer survey data—expectations for the state of personal finances and the economy; strategies to deal with inflation; BTS purchasing expectations

Companies mentioned in this report include: American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Target, Walmart

Other relevant research:

• US Back to School 2024: Preparing for Class—Unveiling Consumer Spending Expectations
• US Back to School 2024: How and Where Will Consumers Shop?—Uncovering the Channels and Retailers Set To Capture Share
• US Back to School 2024: Popular Products and Classroom Chic—Which Categories and Apparel Brands Will Dominate the Season?
• The Coresight Research US Consumer Survey Insights Databank provides insight into US consumer behaviors from our weekly surveys.
• Our monthly reports keep you up to date on retail sales (in total and by sector) and key consumer indicators in the US.
• The Coresight Research US Retail Sales Databank