The analyst Retail Back to School 2025 report forms part of the Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive overview of the major retail occasion of students returning to school after the summer holiday, analysing the market, the major players, the main trends and consumer attitudes.
Report Scope
- Back to school shoppers spend more on the occasion this year compared to 2024
- Price remains a crucial factor influencing retailer choice in all back to school categories
- Tesco wins out again in back to school, closely followed by ASDA
Reasons to Buy
- Use our in-depth consumer insight to learn which back to school categories are shopped the most by consumers, to adapt back to school ranges to current trends.
- Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money and delivery options, in order to maximise sales potential.
- Use our average spend data to understand how much consumers are prepared to pay in each back to school category and which categories consumers are most willing to invest in higher priced items.
Table of Contents
- THE KEY FINDINGS
- Summary of Back to School 2025
- The Key Findings
- As back to school spending rises, shoppers seek deals and promotions
- Fewer consumers bought secondhand back to school items due to hygiene and durability concerns
- Teens drive renewed interest in back to school stationery
- Trend insight - stores
- Trend insight - online
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- Financial wellbeing
- Back to school spending
- Financial spending
- Did you cut back
- Research
- Promotions
- Schoolchildren purchased for
- Back to school spending
- Retailer selection
- Retailer ratings - grocers
- Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
- Secondhand back to school purchases
- Secondhand purchase motivations
- Secondhand purchase deterrents
- Purchase intentions
- Purchases made in the last year
- Purchases made throughout the year
- Retailer drivers by category
- UNIFORM
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Research
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Embroidery/alteration services
- Factors of importance
- Buying dynamics
- SPORTSWEAR AND SPORTS EQUIPMENT
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- STATIONERY
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- SCHOOL ACCESSORIES
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- BOOKS
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- METHODOLOGY
- Technical details: Consumer survey work
- Technical details: Definitions
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2025
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2025
- Secondhand back to school products purchased, 2025
- Products intended to purchase, 2024 & 2025
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for uniform, 2024 to 2025
- Products purchased - trousers, dresses and skirts, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - trousers, dresses and skirts, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - trousers, dresses and skirts, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - shirts and blouses, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - shirts and blouses, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - shirts and blouses, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - blazers & jackets, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - blazers & jackets, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - blazers & jackets, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - underwear, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - underwear, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - underwear, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - sweaters, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - sweaters, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - sweaters, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - footwear, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - footwear, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - footwear, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Categories bought on impulse by uniform shoppers, 2024, 2025 & percentage point change
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for sportswear 2024 to 2025
- Products purchased - sportswear, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - sportswear, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - sportswear, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - sports footwear, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - sports footwear, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - sports footwear, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - sports equipment, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - sports equipment, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - sports equipment, 2024 & 2025
- Categories bought on impulse by sportswear & sports equipment shoppers, 2024, 2025 & percentage point change
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for sportswear & sports equipment 2024 to 2025
- Products purchased - pens and pencils, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - pens and pencils, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - pens and pencils, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - stationery essentials, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - stationery essentials, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - stationery essentials, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - other stationery, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - other stationery, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - other stationery, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - notebooks, diaries and organisers, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - notebooks, diaries and organisers, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - notebooks, diaries and organisers, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - paper, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - paper, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - paper, 2024 & 2025
- Categories bought on impulse by stationery shoppers, 2024, 2025 & percentage point change
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for school accessories 2024 to 2025
- Products purchased - food accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - food accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - food accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - school bag, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - school bag, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - school bag, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - hair accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - hair accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - hair accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Categories bought on impulse by school accessories shoppers, 2024, 2025 & percentage point change
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for books 2024 to 2025
- Products purchased - books for lessons, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - books for lessons, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - books for lessons, 2024 & 2025
- Products purchased - revision guides, 2024 & 2025
- Average spend - revision guides, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers used - revision guides, 2024 & 2025
- Categories bought on impulse by book shoppers, 2024, 2025 & percentage point change
- Gender and age of children that consumers purchased uniform for, 2025
- Back to school spending by category, 2025
- Most used promotions on back to school products, 2025
- Most purchased stationery categories, 2025
- Back to school shoppers purchasing sports products 2021-2025
- Top retailers shopped at for school accessories, 2025
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2024 & 2025
- Total back to school spending compared to last year, 2024 & 2025
- How consumers financed back to school spending, 2024 & 2025
- The proportion of back to school shoppers that stated they actively cut back on spending this year compared to last, 2024 & 2025
- Research undertaken before purchasing back to school, 2025 & change on 2024
- Influence of promotions on back to school shopping habits, 2024 & 2025
- Influence of promotions on when consumers purchase back to school products, 2024 & 2025
- The types of promotions that are appealing and have been used, 2024
- The number of schoolchildren purchased for, 2024 & 2025
- The proportion of back to school spending on each category, 2024 & 2025
- Retailers that did the best job promoting back to school, 2025 & change on 2024
- Secondhand back to school 2025 item penetration (by gender and age of child bought for), & 2023, 2024
- Secondhand items purchased, 2025 & change on 2024
- Secondhand sportswear or sports equipment items purchased, 2025 & change on 2024
- Reasons for purchasing secondhand items, 2025 & change on 2024
- Reasons for not purchasing secondhand items, 2025 & change on 2024
- Intention to purchase any more products for back to school throughout this academic year (2025/26) (by gender and age of child bought for), 2023-2025
- Proportion of back to school shoppers that purchased throughout the year, during the last academic year, 2023, 2024 & 2025
- Purchases made throughout the year, 2025
- What's driving retailer selection summary, 2025
- Back to school 2025 uniform penetration (by gender and age of child bought for), & 2023, 2024
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for uniform, 2024 & 2025 & change on 2024
- What's driving retailer selection (uniform), 2025 & change on 2024
- Research undertaken before purchasing back to school (uniform), 2025 & change on 2024
- Consumers using each channel for back to school uniform purchases, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each store type for back to school uniform purchases, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each device for back to school uniform purchases, 2024 & 2025
- Fulfilment options for uniform purchases made online, 2024 & 2025
- Requirement and use of alteration services, 2024 & 2025
- Reasons why embroidery services were not used, 2024 & 2025
- Awareness of uniform embroidery/alteration services, 2025 & change on 2024
- Factors of importance (uniform), 2024 & 2025
- Back to school 2025 trousers dresses and skirts penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 trousers dresses and skirts penetration
- Trousers fit, length & style purchased, 2025
- Skirt length & style purchased, 2025
- Back to school 2025 shirts & blouses penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 shirts & blouses penetration
- Shirts fit purchased, 2025
- Blouses fit purchased, 2025
- Back to school 2025 blazers & jackets penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 blazers & jackets penetration
- Back to school 2025 underwear penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 underwear penetration
- Back to school 2025 sweaters penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 sweaters penetration
- Back to school 2025 footwear penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 footwear penetration
- Shoe fit purchased, 2025
- Back to school 2025 accessories penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 accessories penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (overall uniform), 2025
- Back to school 2025 sportswear & sports equipment penetration (by gender & age of child bought for) and 2024 & 2023 penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for sportswear and sports equipment 2024 & 2025 & change on 2024
- What's driving retailer selection (sportswear and sports equipment), 2025 & change on 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing sportswear and equipment, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing sportswear and equipment, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each device for purchasing sportswear & equipment, 2024 & 2025
- Fulfilment options for sportswear and sports equipment purchases made online, 2024 & 2025
- Back to school 2025 sportswear penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 sportswear penetration
- Back to school 2025 sports footwear penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 sports footwear penetration
- Back to school 2025 sports equipment penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 sports equipment penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (sportswear and sports equipment), 2025
- Back to school 2025 stationery penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 stationery penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for stationery 2024 & 2025, & change on 2024
- What's driving retailer selection (stationery), 2025 & change on 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing stationery, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing stationery, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each device for purchasing stationery, 2024 & 2025
- Fulfilment options for stationery purchases made online, 2024 & 2025
- Back to school 2025 pens and pencils penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 pens and pencils penetration
- Back to school 2025 stationery essentials penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 stationery essentials penetration
- Back to school 2025 other stationery penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 other stationery
- Back to school 2025 notebooks, diaries and organisers penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 notebooks, diaries and organisers penetration
- Back to school 2025 paper penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 paper penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (stationery), 2025
- Back to school 2025 school accessories penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 school accessories penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for school accessories 2024 & 2025, & change on 2024
- What's driving retailer selection (school accessories), 2025 & change on 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing school accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing school accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each device for purchasing school accessories, 2024 & 2025
- Fulfilment options for school accessories purchases made online, 2024 & 2025
- Back to school 2025 food accessories penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 food accessories penetration
- Back to school 2025 school bag penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 school bag penetration
- Back to school 2025 hair accessories penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 hair accessories penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (school accessories), 2025
- Back to school 2025 books (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 books penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for books 2024 & 2025, & change on 2024
- What's driving retailer selection (books), 2025 & change on 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing books, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing books, 2024 & 2025
- Consumers using each device for purchasing books, 2024 & 2025
- Fulfilment options for books purchases made online, 2024 & 2025
- Back to school 2025 books for lessons penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 books for lessons penetration
- Back to school 2025 revision guides penetration (by gender & age of child bought for), 2024 & 2023 revision guides penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (books), 2025
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Adidas
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Argos
- ASDA
- B&M
- Clark's
- Co-op
- Directschoolwear.co.uk
- Foyles
- H&M
- Hobbycraft
- Home Bargains
- JD Sports
- JD Williams
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Morrisons
- Next
- Nike
- Poundland
- Primark
- Ryman
- Sainsbury's
- SchoolUniform247.co.uk
- School Uniform Direct
- SchoolUniformShop.co.uk
- SHEIN
- Smiggle
- Sports Direct
- Temu
- Tesco
- The Book Depository
- The Works
- Uniform4Kids
- Waitrose & Partners
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Yourschooluniform.com
- Zara
