“Slow improvements in the economy may have contributed to the growth in confidence among back-to-school shoppers, and while we are encouraged by the overall tone of the results and expect to see continued improvement in consumer spending through the year, we know Americans are still grappling with their purchase decisions every day,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay in a press release. “Throughout the history of this survey, spending has fluctuated based on family needs each year, and this summer, we expect parents to continue to use caution, but also make smart decisions for their family budget that is a good balance between what their children ‘want’ and what they actually need.”  

According to the survey, families with high school students will spend the most ($682.99 on average) while spending on middle school and junior high comes in a close second ($682.13). Parents with elementary school-age children will spend an average of $580.94.

Every category is expected to see an increase in spending – shoppers will spend 7% more on electronic items ($212.35) and 12% more on school supplies ($101.18). Spending on clothing will remain steady at $231.30.

While department and discount stores will be the most visited among school shoppers, about 17% of those surveyed said they would support local or small retailers in their area. Nearly 40% of respondents said they would shop online.

One-quarter of shoppers will take advantage of late-summer deals and shop one to two weeks before school, while one-in-five said they will shop at least two months in advance. A small number of respondents (3%) said they would start their shopping after the start of the school year.

Millennial high school students aged 13-17 will reportedly spend $913 million of their own money on school items, spending on average $34.40. Pre-teens will spend an average $22.27 of their own money, totaling $544 million. Most parents (34.8%) said at least half of their back-to-school purchases are influenced by their children.

 “It’s safe to say this generation takes back-to-school shopping much more serious than their older brothers and sisters did, with many kids today influencing almost everything their parents buy for the upcoming school year,” said Prosper Insights Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “Students will make sure to keep one eye on social media and the other on retailers’ websites as they seek out what’s new and exciting in their hunt for fresh, fashionable and relevant back-to-school gear.”

NRF’s 2014 Back-to-School survey, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, were designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to back-to-school spending and back-to-college spending. The poll of 6,178 consumers was conducted from July 1-8, 2014. The consumer polls have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.3 percentage points. The total spending figure is an extrapolation of U.S. adults 18 and older.