WASHINGTON - The back-to-school shopping season may start a little earlier this summer as parents try to get ahead of rising prices due to tariffs, according to a recent survey.

According to the National Retail Federation, two-thirds (67%) of back-to-school shoppers have already started going to stores.

The NRF said the head start is up from 55% last year and is the highest since NRF started tracking early shopping in 2018.

Additionally, 51% of back-to-school families are shopping earlier this year than last year, driven by worries that tariffs will cause prices to increase.

What they're saying:

"Consumers are being mindful of the potential impacts of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school items, and have turned to early shopping, discount stores and summer sales for savings on sch

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