The Best Time To Shop Back-to-School Deals in 2026, According to Data
Back-to-school season is here, and retailers are already slashing prices. But if you shop now, you could be leaving money on the table. Discounts will keep climbing for the next few weeks, peaking at 34% off in late August. That's a 10-point difference from what you'll find this week, which, if you're outfitting multiple kids, could mean hundreds in extra savings.
Here's exactly when to shop for the best back-to-school deals this year.
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The Best and Worst Weeks for Back-to-School Deals in 2026
A recent Decodo analysis looked at the 2025 back-to-school season week by week across retailers to find weekly discount trends. Based on this analysis, here's what you can expect for 2026:
Week starting Aug. 3: Season opens, 26% average discount
Week starting Aug. 10: Season ramps up, 28% average discount
Week starting Aug. 17: Season continues ramping up, 31% average discount
Week starting Aug. 24: Late-August peak, 34% average discount
Week starting Aug. 31: Peak holds, 33% average discount
Week starting Sept. 7: Rollback begins, 24% average discount
The data points to a clear sweet spot: the weeks beginning Aug. 24 and Aug. 31 delivered the deepest discounts, while shoppers who waited until September generally saw savings shrink.
School Shopping Categories With the Biggest Late-August Discounts
The analysis also identified the categories with the most elevated savings during back-to-school shopping season. Clothing, accessories and electronics showed the biggest seasonal jump in discounts, making them the best categories to delay purchasing until late August.
Clothing and Accessories
Regular discount: 28%
Late-August peak discount: 36%
Additional savings: 8%
Electronics
Regular discount: 17%
Late-August peak discount: 25%
Additional savings: 8%
Home Improvement
Regular discount: 14%
Late-August peak discount: 20%
Additional savings: 6%
Groceries
Regular discount: 16%
Late-August peak discount: 22%
Additional savings: 6%
Stores Offering the Biggest Back-to-School Discounts
Some retailers offered considerably larger back-to-school markdowns than usual. Department stores, apparel retailers and electronics chains saw some of the biggest seasonal discount increases.
9% Additional Savings
Nordstrom
8% Additional Savings
Kroger
Macy's
7% Additional Savings
Best Buy
Gap
Sephora
Uniqlo
6% Additional Savings
Home Depot
Lowe's
Target
5% Additional Savings
Publix
4% Additional Savings
Newegg
3% Additional Savings
Walmart
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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