Back-to-school season: Parents hunting for bargains well before summer break and with some help from AI

The school year hasn’t started yet, but that hasn’t stopped many parents from already hunting for bargains on school supplies, according to a survey released Monday.

Some parents didn’t wait until they got back from the beach or camping to stock up on the supplies their children need for the upcoming school year.

In fact, according to a survey conducted by Caddle and the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), 61 per cent of parents had already started shopping or planned to do so soon when surveyed last April.

“We’re also seeing that parents are starting earlier and earlier,” noted Francis Mailly, vice president of public affairs for Quebec at the RCC, in an interview.

“This is definitely a trend that’s taking hold—even before the end of the previous school year, in late May or early June, a quarter of parents are already starting to shop,” he explained.

According to him, several factors explain why parents aren’t delaying their shopping—whether to find more niche items or simply because of their enthusiasm for shopping for their children’s back-to-school needs, especially those experiencing their child’s first year of school.

“But also, one reason that’s definitely a factor is that the earlier you start, the more opportunities you have to take advantage of discounts,” Mailly pointed out.

Price remains a key factor in parents’ decisions, particularly due to inflation. In fact, 91 per cent of those surveyed believe that school supplies have become more expensive.

As a result, 85 per cent of parents said they were actively looking for deals. Additionally, 47 per cent indicated that finding good prices is the main challenge they face while shopping.

“When it comes to back-to-school shopping, we certainly can’t afford to turn a blind eye because we’re aware that it’s a major expense for parents,” said Mailly.

For Canadian retailers, back-to-school shopping represents nearly $4.5 billion in sales, according to the RCC, which estimates that average spending ranges from $600 to $750 per child, including electronic devices.

To get the best deals, many parents also plan two or three shopping trips, rather than taking care of everything in one go.

“I believe there’s hope for greater efficiency by going to a single location, but the technical—and economic—reality means that parents are forced to visit multiple stores,” added Mailly.

Back-to-school shopping is no exception to AI

Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence is now among the tools used to plan for the back-to-school season.

In particular, 23 per cent of parents surveyed mentioned that they had already used it to create a shopping list, find the best prices, compare products, or get recommendations.

Additionally, 21 per cent indicated they would be willing to use artificial intelligence for this purpose.

“It’s a tool that’s set to grow, one that’s becoming part of everyday life, and it’s a tool that can help with research—but also potentially save money,” said Mailly.

The survey was conducted in late April 2026 using Caddle’s mobile platform and online panel among 1,398 Canadians with children ranging from kindergarten through the first year of CEGEP.

The Canadian Research Insights Council, an industry organization that promotes survey standards, notes that it is not possible to assign a margin of error to online surveys, as they are not based on a random sample of the population.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews