July 10 (Reuters) - Back-to-school spending is expected to dip this year, as tariff-driven price hikes and economic uncertainty force Americans to tighten household budgets, according to a Deloitte forecast released Thursday.
Overall spending is projected to remain flat at $30.9 billion or $570 per student on average, despite higher prices across all product categories, which is 7% below 2021, according to the report. Last year, parents spent an average of $586 per child.
The Deloitte survey was conducted online using an independent research panel between May 21 and May 30, involving 1,203 parents with at least one child in grades K-12.
Major retailers including Walmart WMT.N, Target TGT.N, and Amazon.com AMZN.O are competing for customer spending amid a deal-heavy shopping season, including Amazon's Prime Day sales, which will run for four days this year.
According to an Adobe Analytics forecast released this week, online spending is expected to reach $23.8 billion.
Consumer spending has remained soft in recent months amid President Trump's shifting tariff policies.
Families are expected to focus their spending on necessary items like clothing, while reducing expenditures on categories such as technology and school supplies, Deloitte found.
More shoppers will trade down to cheaper private-label brands and spread purchases into August, the report added.
"Value for the money is the top driver of retailer choice, and parents are increasingly willing to switch brands or retailers to find the best deals," Brian McCarthy, principal of retail strategy at Deloitte Consulting said.
More than half of surveyed parents were anxious about the potential for higher prices on back-to-school items and planned to cut back on restaurant meals and recreational activities to manage their budgets.
Demand for standard shipping rose 76%, compared with 63% in 2024, the survey found, signaling shoppers will choose longer delivery times to lower or avoid shipping costs.
(Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
((Savyata.Mishra@thomsonreuters.com;))
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