LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Researchers say post-pandemic spending on devices such as laptops and tablets has permanently shifted how families budget for back-to-school. More money is going toward electronics, while discretionary items such as extra clothes and accessories are being reduced — even as overall spending rises.
A growing number of parents say schools are now providing devices, leading families to buy fewer individual student laptops and more home desktops or shared family technology instead.
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“The electronics dollar is still there. It’s just the reason behind it — and the product that they’re buying — that’s changing,” an NRF analyst said.
Analysts say the shift could help some families who no longer have to cover every device on their own. However, they also note that households without reliable home computers may still face difficulty keeping up with assignments outside of school.
Swipe fees adding billions to back-to-school costs
The Merchants Payments Coalition says credit card swipe fees — charges banks place on merchants each time a customer uses a credit card — will add a record $3.4 billion to the cost of school and college supplies this year. That amounts to up to $34 per family.
The fees average about 2.36% of every purchase— but range as high as 4%. Because merchants build the charges into prices, all shoppers pay them regardless of whether they use a credit card.
The coalition is urging Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act, saying the legislation would reduce those fees and lower school supply costs for families.
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