20% of Families Now Begin Back-to-School Shopping in June as Planning Challenges Persist

New survey finds families are planning ahead for back-to-school season but still face frustration finding accurate supply lists

WRENTHAM, Mass., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Families across the country are beginning to shift how they approach back-to-school preparation, with more parents starting to plan and shop earlier in the season. At the same time, new data suggests that early intent does not always translate into easier or more efficient shopping experiences.

A recent TeacherLists survey found that 20% of families now intend to begin back-to-school shopping in June, a 9% increase compared to 2024 levels and consistent with 2025 findings. While July and August remain peak shopping months, the steady rise in June activity signals a meaningful shift toward earlier planning behavior.

However, the data also reveals what can be described as a "pre-season planning gap"—a disconnect between when families begin organizing for back-to-school and their ability to easily access accurate, centralized school supply information.

While families are planning earlier, many continue to face foundational friction in the process. That same survey found that 59% of parents associate back-to-school shopping with being stressful, financially challenging, or something they dread. In addition, 36% of families report that it takes three or more trips to complete shopping for requested school supplies, underscoring ongoing inefficiencies in how families gather and act on supply information.

Access to school supply lists remains a key barrier. The survey found that 36% of families have had difficulty finding their child's school supply list, and 19% say locating the list remains difficult year after year.

Despite these challenges, there is strong demand for a more streamlined experience. 85% of parents say they would use a verified, centralized supply list if it were available through retailers.

Taken together, the findings suggest that the challenge for many families is not simply when they shop, but how easily they can access and coordinate the information required to shop effectively. Early planning is increasing, but fragmentation in supply list access continues to create unnecessary complexity.

TeacherLists helps address this gap by working with schools and districts nationwide to digitize and distribute millions of school supply lists each year. These verified lists improve accuracy and accessibility for families while also enabling retailers to integrate school-specific requirements directly into the shopping experience.

TeacherLists transforms school supply lists into convenient, digital shoppable formats that allow families to:

• View the exact supplies requested by their child's school and teacher
• Compare prices and plan purchases in advance
• Shop online or in-store at their convenience
• Confirm item availability
• Make incremental purchases over time

Best of all, TeacherLists is free for families, schools, and districts. School districts can easily create, update, and share supply lists, reducing confusion and improving the back-to-school experience for families.

How to Use TeacherLists
Parents can visit teacherlists.com/families and search by state or zip code to find their school's list. If a list isn't available yet, they can sign up to get a notification as soon as it goes live.

For School and District Leaders
To streamline the supply list process and better support your school community, visit teacherlists.com/schools-districts to learn more and get started.

*Parent survey responses via TeacherLists Preseason Parent Survey, May 2026, 2,500 respondents self-identified as parents or guardians of K-12 students.

About TeacherLists

TeacherLists is the single national source of verified school supply lists. TeacherLists makes it easy for school administrators and teachers to enter, update, and share their supply lists. Busy families love the convenience of easily finding and shopping their child's classroom-specific lists. TeacherLists partners with major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, Staples, Office Depot, HEB, Meijer, Dollar General, Kroger, and CVS to offer shopping online, in-store, or both, giving families options to shop the way that works for them. 

School Family Media is changing how schools and families prepare for back-to-school. Our nationally recognized platforms, TeacherLists, EduKit, School Tool Box, and PTO Today, simplify back-to-school for schools, teachers, volunteers, and especially parents. As a mission-driven company, our goal is to make life easier for school communities and help ensure students are prepared to learn.

SOURCE TeacherLists