Dive Brief:

• Nearly a third (29%) of U.S. households with children ages six to 17 will spend more as they shop for “back-to-school,” 24% more than last year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. 

• 30% of those with college-bound kids will spend more, a bounce of seven percentage points from last year, according to the report.

• But that good news is tempered by research from America’s Research Group finding that more than half (58%) of parents will be spending only as much as they feel they must because they’re content to wait for big holiday sales, up from just half of parents last year.

Dive Insight:

The thing about “back to school” spending is that, unlike gift-giving holidays like Hannukah and Christmas or even Mother’s Day, there's no deadline for purchase. Consumers are happy to wait around for deals much better than any found during “back to school” promotions, which often start just as school is ending, when few are in the mood.

With the holidays — and its massive sales — just around the corner, consumers are finding that there’s no back-to-school rush.