ROSEVILLE, Minn. — The back-to-school shopping season is underway, and studies suggest parents are seeing higher prices this year.
A recent survey released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts 2023 will be the most expensive back-to-school shopping season on record.
The NRF predicts Americans will spend around $41.5 billion on school supplies in 2023, up from $36.9 billion in 2022.
The average family will spend around $890 on school supplies, that’s $25 higher than last year.
Kids In Need Foundation CEO Corey Gordon agree that parents are seeing higher prices in stores this year.
“We’ve had a lot of families calling up asking if they can have supplies for their kids,” Gordon says.
“The need has increased significantly this year. You just look at all the supply chain issues, rising costs of inflation — you see a dramatic increase.”
Samantha Gordon from Consumer Reports says high inflation is the biggest reason why prices are higher this year, but school supply lists are also getting longer with more teachers asking for cleaning products and more schools requiring electronic items like headphones.
The NRF survey shows 69% of consumers expect to buy at least one electronic item this school year.
"One of the things you can do is not try to buy everything all at once. By spreading out your shopping and shopping at different stores you can really find the best prices that way and you'll be able to save a lot more money than if you just bought everything from one store,” Gordon explains.
So, if you're feeling the crunch of back-to-school shopping this year, don't worry, you're not alone.
Millions of American families are feeling the pinch as well.
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