Your Guide to Winning the 2025 Back to School Shopping Season

The Back to School shopping season is fast approaching but for retail and ecommerce advertisers, now’s the time to get ahead. Following a record-breaking $125.4 billion spent in 2024, this year is shaping up to be just as competitive, and potentially more dynamic, as consumer habits continue to shift.

In our 2025 Back to School Advertiser Guide, we break down the trends shaping this year’s shopping season and what they mean for your search media strategy.

Early Birds Catch More Than Worms: Why Timing Matters

With 60% of Back to School shopping wrapped up by July, the strongest media opportunity isn’t mid-season —it’s right now. Early shoppers are ahead of the curve: making larger purchases, engaging more frequently across digital channels, and driving stronger performance.

Notably, parents who shop for themselves while buying for their kids are linked to a 1.4x increase in spend. Yet most retailers don’t lean into the season until late July or August, missing the window when intent is high and competition is still low. Advertising earlier means stronger engagement and better positioning before media costs rise and attention shifts elsewhere.

AI Is Changing the Way We Discover

Shoppers aren’t just searching earlier; they’re searching smarter. With major retailers like Walmart integrating AI to streamline the shopping journey, consumers are increasingly relying on smarter tools to compare prices, build shopping lists, and find what they need, fast.

As AI becomes more embedded in the consumer journey, it’s also changing how shoppers engage with search itself. Instead of entering traditional queries into legacy search engines, shoppers are interacting with generative AI tools that anticipate their needs and surface personalized suggestions, making it even more important for brands and retailers to appear in these results. These AI-powered experiences aren’t just enhancing discovery; they’re influencing what gets seen, considered, and purchased.

The Buy Now, Pay Later Effect

As costs remain high, shoppers are getting strategic about how they spend. Flexible payment options like Buy Now, Pay Later apps are playing a bigger role in how shoppers plan, prioritize, and purchase. Over half of U.S. consumers have used a Buy Now, Pay Later in the past year, and more than a third of parents say they’re likely to use one this back to school season.

This kind of volume points to more than preference; it reflects a broader shift in shopping behavior. No longer just a payment option, Buy Now, Pay Later apps are influencing decisions earlier in the shopping journey and opening a unique window for advertisers to reach high-intent consumers before they complete their back to school shopping lists.

Your 2025 Back to School Strategy Starts Here

This year’s back to school shoppers aren’t waiting, and neither should you. Whether it’s taking AI-powered search by storm, advertising before the rush, or treating Buy Now, Pay Later apps like the valuable performance channel they’ve become, this season rewards those who move first.

Get the full breakdown of this year’s trends, and what they mean for your media plan, in our 2025 Back to School Advertiser Guide.

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