Back-to-school season is one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year for families across the country. It’s also an important time for advertisers, as parents and students spend heavily—much of it online. In fact, the National Retail Federation projects that back-to-school spending will reach $128 billion this year (National Retail Federation, 2025).
Yet one important group has been largely overlooked: grandparents. A recent Northwestern University Spiegel Research Center analysis found that 27% of grandparents plan to shop for back-to-school or college needs (n = 7,581, Prosper Insights & Analytics, July 2025). Additionally, 14% of all back-to-school shoppers are grandparents.
As advertisers prepare their seasonal campaigns, the question becomes: what’s your grandparent strategy? Read more about the back-to-school market and how to reach this key audience.
Back-to-School and College Spending Rivals Holiday Season Spending