San Diego families brace for pricier back-to-school season
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Parents are heading into the 2025 back-to-school season facing rising prices and looming tariffs — forcing them to shop smarter and earlier.
Why it matters: Back-to-school is the second-biggest retail event of the year, after the winter holidays.
- This season is a stress test for family budgets and a strategy test for retailers trying to hold onto value-conscious shoppers.
Driving the news: Thousands of students in the Chula Vista, South Bay and Sweetwater districts returned to school last week.
- School starts Aug. 11 for San Diego Unified students, and most other districts countywide welcome students back in mid-August.
Between the lines: California law requires public schools to provide all essential school supplies for students, but the financial burden can still fall on parents and teachers, who often make online wish lists to supply their classrooms.
State of play: New U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports — including backpacks, pens, binders and shoes — kicked in earlier this year, rose sharply, then came back down to levels still historically high.
- Big retailers like Target, Walmart and Staples have rolled out deals, freebies and sales to help ease pressure on teachers and family budgets.
By the numbers: Families with students in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $858.07 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics this year, per the National Retail Federation. That's down from $874.68 in 2024.
- 67% of back-to-school shoppers had already started buying for the coming school year as of early June, according to the NRF.
- 51% of families said they are shopping earlier this year than last year "out of concern that prices will rise due to tariffs," the NRF said.
- Stationery and supplies prices have risen 30% over the past five years, according to Deloitte's 2025 back-to-school survey.
Yes, but: The full impact of tariffs hasn't hit store shelves yet.
- "Retailers have done a solid job front-loading inventory to delay price spikes — so for now, many shelves still reflect pre-tariff costs," David Warrick, executive vice president at supply-chain risk firm Overhaul, told Axios. "But that buffer may run out by late summer or early fall."
- They're expecting an average price increase of 12% to 15% across back-to-school essentials, Warrick said.
Zoom in: The San Diego Center for Children, Jewish Family Services, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches and other local organizations host backpack and school supplies drives to help alleviate costs.
- Operation Homefront gave 500 local military kids backpacks full of supplies this year, while the county is collecting donations for students experiencing homelessness.