Parents are planning to spend almost $500 per child this back-to-school season, but most won’t be shopping at Macy’s or Kohl’s. Retail giant Walmart is the overwhelming first choice as consumers prioritize value and convenience.
Despite rising prices driven by inflation and the high cost of gasoline impacting family budgets, parents plan to increase their back-to-school spending by 11.7% to $489 per child, according to a JLL report.
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Kohl’s, Macy’s low priority for parents
Back-to-school shoppers, however, are not so thrilled about shopping at Kohl’s or Macy’s, as only 3.9% of parents said they plan to shop at Kohl’s, while 4.6% said they would shop at Macy’s, according to JLL’s survey released on June 30.
Kohl’s survey results, however, were a 0.5% improvement over 2025, which was 3.4%, while Macy’s improved with consumers by 1.4% from 3.2% last year.
The increase in spending noted in the survey is led by younger, engaged shoppers who will seek retailers who can deliver on value, selection, and convenience, according to JLL’s 2026 Back-to-School Survey.
Walmart fits the description of a retailer who can offer everything that shoppers need in one stop at a good price and a large percentage of consumers have noticed. JLL’s survey revealed 77.3% of parents surveyed said they plan to shop at Walmart for the back-to-school season, which is an increase of 22.5% from 54.8% of those surveyed in 2025.
Shoppers want value and convenience
“Families are seeking retailers that respect their time and budgets, which explains why 68.7% cite saving money and 35.1% prioritize finding the full school list in one place,” James Cook, Americas director of research, retail, at JLL said.
“Mass merchandisers are the favorites this season because they solve both priorities at once. The retailers succeeding right now have made value and convenience intertwined in every shopping experience, Cook said.
Parents start back-to-school shopping
The JLL report, which surveyed over 1,000 U.S. parents, revealed that consumers plan to shop more strategically with 27% of those surveyed saying that they will start shopping in July.
Younger generation parents are driving the overall growth in back-to-school spending, with Gen Z parents planning to spend $671 per child, which is an 18.5% increase year-over-year and Millennials spending $549 per child or an 18% year-over-year increase.
Shoppers seeking to purchase merchandise at value retailers, such as Walmart or Target, will spend an average of $444 per child and visit two or three stores.
Parents shopping at retailers for electronics or home goods for older and college-bound students will spend $800 to $900 per child, nearly double the average of value shoppers, and visit about six stores in the process.
JLL surveyed 1,022 parents in May 2026 to understand how they approach the back-to-school season, where they plan to shop, what they are willing to spend, and what’s driving their decisions, the company said in a statement.
2026 Preferred Back-to-School retailers:
- Walmart, 77.3% prefers in 2026.
- Target, 40.1% prefers in 2026.
- Amazon, 38.7% prefers in 2026.
- Old Navy, 8.8% prefers in 2026.
- Dollar General, 7.6% prefers in 2026.
- Dollar Tree, 6.8% prefers in 2026.
- Staples 5.8% prefers in 2026.
- Ross Dress for Less, 4.7% prefers in 2026.
- Macy’s, 4.6% prefers in 2026.
- Kohl’s, 3.9% prefers in 2026.
- Source: JLL.
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