Published on: June 23, 2026
NEW YORK, June 23, 2026: A new guide from Adlook, which includes proprietary data, reveals that many brands are investing too heavily in the point of conversion rather than the point of decision during the US Back-to-School season, meaning they are missing out on vital opportunities to influence purchasing decisions.
The guide, Before the List Is Written: How Back to School Actually Gets Bought in 2026, reveals how purchase decisions are formed across an eight-to-ten-week period through the combined influence of children, parents and gift-buyers. When considered alongside National Retail Federation (NRF) figures that show two-thirds (67%) of consumers begin Back-to-School shopping in early July, it is clear that traditional approaches to this crucial buying period miss the mark.
Key findings in the guide include:
47% of purchases are gifts from a family member or family friend, who often sit outside traditional household targeting models and retail media data sets
28% of purchases begin with a child’s request, making it the single largest source of inspiration, ahead of advertising, reviews, and social media
76% of purchases involve a child’s influence
Taken together, these findings suggest that the buyer is often not the decision-maker. While parents complete the transaction, preferences are frequently shaped much earlier by children, family members, and trusted content environments.
“Most Back-to-School media investment is concentrated around the moment the cart is filled,” commented Luca Filardo, Chief Revenue Officer at Adlook. “But by the time a parent starts actively shopping, many of the key decisions have already been shaped through weeks of influence across content, social conversations, entertainment and peer-driven environments. Brands that wait for intent signals are often arriving after preferences have already formed.”
The guide also highlights the growing role of open web environments, contextual advertising and connected TV in reaching consumers during the earlier phases of the Back-to-School cycle, particularly while parents are researching, children are forming preferences, and gift-buyers are considering purchases. Nearly half of category purchases come from gift-buyers – grandparents, relatives and family friends – who often sit outside traditional household targeting models.
The findings point to a broader shift in how marketers should think about media effectiveness, attribution and full-funnel planning during key seasonal retail moments.
“The industry has become extremely effective at measuring conversion, but influence remains significantly under-measured,” added Filardo. “Back-to-School is one of the clearest examples of how consumer decisions are shaped long before a cart is filled. The brands that win are those that were present during the research, conversation and preference-building stages, not just at the point of purchase.”
The full guide, Before the List Is Written: How Back to School Actually Gets Bought in 2026, is available on the Adlook website.
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