Back-to-school shopping started earlier than ever this year — and in many parts of the country, the first bell has already rung. According to the National Retail Federation, 1 in 3 parents of school-age students were already shopping for the next school year in June, an increase of 6 percentage points from last year. Families looked to lock in deals earlier, especially as school supply lists were distributed before the end of the school year.
Parents also played a different role in the shopping journey this season. According to PwC’s 2026 Back-to-School Shopping survey, 61% of parents allowed their children to add items directly to their back-to-school online shopping cart, highlighting the growing influence kids have on purchasing decisions.
For retailers, that shift in timing and decision-making creates a real opportunity and local broadcast is one of the most effective ways to reach families. Back-to-school is one of the highest-spending retail seasons of the year, and parents are actively consuming local news and programming during the summer months as they plan and shop. Local broadcast reaches those audiences at scale, in the markets where they live, at exactly the moment purchasing decisions are being made. For retailers running market-specific promotions, sales events, or school supply deals, local broadcast delivers the reach and relevance that national campaigns simply can’t replicate.
While the season is already underway in many markets, shopping behaviors varied significantly by market – and for retailers still in the thick of it, those differences matter.
The data makes that clear. According to MRI-Simmons:
- Cleveland: Parents are 20% more likely to plan back-to-school shopping around seasonal sales events.
- Washington, DC: Parents are 25% more likely to say it is important to buy the back-to-school products that their child wants.
- San Francisco: Parents are 19% more likely to be more active in seeking out discounts and deals for back-to-school shopping this season.
- Atlanta: Parents are 29% more likely to plan to start back-to-school shopping earlier than normal this year.
- Miami: Parents are 23% more likely to switch stores if they provide a wish list of necessary items from their child’s school.
Looking at these markets together paints a clear picture: families prioritize different parts of the shopping experience.
For advertisers, understanding these motivations can influence everything from campaign timing to creative messaging and promotional strategy.
Takeaway
Back-to-school shopping isn’t driven by a single consumer mindset. Some parents are focused on timing their purchases around sales, others prioritize value, convenience, or their children’s preferences.
The brands that perform best during the season recognize those local differences instead of relying on a national playbook. By aligning campaigns with how families actually shop in each market, retailers can build more meaningful connections and maximize the impact of their advertising.
