No, do not wait until December for back-to-school deals. Buy supplies, clothing and laptops students need now in July through September, and delay only nonurgent electronics for late November.
Back-to-school deals are discounts aimed at the August and September return to classes. Most families shop early for them. The National Retail Federation found more than half of K-12 and college shoppers had started buying by early July in its 2025 survey release.
Table of Contents
- Buy supplies and clothing early
- What about a student laptop?
- Why does December usually disappoint?
- How should you split the list?
Buy supplies and clothing early
Buy notebooks, backpacks, lunch gear, uniforms and fall shoes in summer. Stores stock full sizes and colors then for the school rush. Late shoppers pick from leftovers and pay more for rush shipping.
Make one list by child and buy only what school starts require. Check dress codes, supply lists and what still fits. Leave extras, spares and style upgrades for later sales.
What about a student laptop?
ShopSavvy price tracking found laptops cheapest in October at 4.7% below usual. September ran 3.8% below, while Black Friday week averaged only 3.2% below early-October prices, according to ShopSavvy in its March 2026 laptop timing update If a student needs a laptop for classes, buy during September or October.
Wait past school start only for a delayable second device. A child without a working computer loses study time.
Why does December usually disappoint?
Adobe forecasts 2026 holiday electronics discounts peak around 30% off list during Cyber Week. Discounts then ease to about 10-15% in December for last-minute gifts, according to Adobe Digital Insights in its holiday forecast Waiting also does not guarantee the lowest price. Visualping tracked more than 2,600 products in 2025 and found about one-third of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals had sold for less earlier, averaging 37% above the season low, according to ConsumerAffairs in its October 2026 Black Friday warning report.
How should you split the list?
Sort items by start date, not by hoped-for discount. Buy need-now items in the back-to-school window.
Hold only items that can wait without harm. Write down the September shelf price for each hold item. Set a target buy price now and buy when late-November tracking hits it.
- Buy now: required supplies, clothing in current sizes, and a school-needed laptop
- Hold for late November: headphones, tablets, printers, and dorm extras that can wait
- Skip in December unless the price beats your September note and stock fits
