A survey has found that parents are increasingly planning ahead and comparing prices across multiple retailers, with 92% saying back-to-school shopping is more expensive than two years ago as cost of living pressures continue to bite.
A savvy 60% of mums and dads do their price comparison homework before embarking on the back-to-school shop, with 30% stating it's one of their primary methods for saving money.
Survey reveals changing shopping habits
A survey by SHEIN has revealed that parents are increasingly planning ahead, shopping across various platforms and making conscious decisions about where and how they purchase in preparation for schools reopening in September.
This comes as ONS statistics show that 79% of adults in Great Britain reported a rise in their cost of living in May 2026 compared to the previous month.
Among those facing escalating bills, 92% surveyed by the global online fashion and lifestyle retailer attributed it to an increase in food shopping prices, while 80% blamed rising fuel costs.
Cost pressures on families
Food bank charity Trussell also reported that in 2025 they provided 2.6 million emergency food parcels to individuals.
The impact of living costs on households is evident in the stats, with 92% confessing that back-to-school shopping is pricier than it was two years ago.
Furthermore, 82% stated that soaring living costs have altered how they shop for back-to-school necessities.
Quality and price priorities
While families are adjusting their shopping habits, quality (80%) is considered just as important as price (78%) when deciding where to buy school uniforms.
Of the 2,700 parents surveyed, over half (52%) start shopping in early August, with a quarter (23%) admitting that one of the main reasons for this is to spread out the cost of purchases.
Others claim they shop early to nab popular sizes before they're all gone (28%) or to capitalise on seasonal deals (21%).
Online savings and item trends
A whopping 74% of parents surveyed said that online shopping has helped cut their back-to-school expenses.
A third reckon that shopping online saves them at least £50 each year on back-to-school buys, including 17% who believe it saves more than £100 annually.
Shoes are the item most likely to need replacing according to 40% of parents, while backpacks are the item most likely to be reused.
Martin Reidy, Corporate Affairs Director at SHEIN, commented: "Preparing for the new school year has become a more carefully planned purchase for many families.
"Parents are telling us they're starting earlier, taking more time to research their options and using a mix of online and in-store shopping to find products that best meet their needs.
"What's striking is that, even as shopping habits evolve, quality remains every bit as important as the price."
