Back to School Now Runs All Summer. Get the Guide.

CJ publishes periodic reports on the trends reshaping digital commerce, built from our own network data alongside research from leading sources including eMarketer, Mintel, Bain & Company, Forrester, Grand View Research, YouGov, and NielsenIQ. The newest one is here. Summer Industry Insights: Back to School takes the season apart and looks at how families shop, what they buy, and where affiliate fits into a year that keeps stretching the calendar.

Back to school stopped being a late-August event a while ago. Most families now begin in early summer and spread the cost across months, which makes the affiliate window longer and far more competitive than it used to be. The report tracks that shift across three major regions, the US, Europe, and APAC, and it explains why an early, sustained presence outperforms a single late-season push. Each regional view comes with its own read on shopper psychology, budget pressure, and the channels people lean on, so a team running programs in more than one market can see where the playbooks need to differ.

Here is what the guide covers:

• Seasonal spend outlooks for the US, Europe, and APAC
• Ecommerce trends, including the steady move of share online
• A close look at what families actually buy, from electronics and apparel to school supplies
• How shoppers plan, compare, and buy, including the digital tools they rely on
• Affiliate opportunities by region, with specific plays and partner spotlights

One of the key themes running through the whole report is that AI is moving into the act of BTS shopping itself. Millions of shoppers are using AI to help them compare options, build their lists, and in some cases, finish the purchase. eMarketer projects AI could influence a meaningful share of ecommerce within a few years, and the guide walks through what that means for how products get discovered and recommended.

The report also makes a direct case for affiliate as the connective tissue for an omnichannel season. Discovery happens on social media and through creators. Comparison happens online. A large share of purchases still close inside a store. Affiliate touches every one of those moments, which is why the guide gives it center stage and shows how card-linked offers, loyalty programs, and creator content work together across the journey.

The consumer behavior section looks at how families trade down and build baskets around promotions, and how quickly they switch retailers when the savings are easy to claim. Value has become the price of entry, and the guide is candid about what that costs brands that still expect loyalty to carry the season on its own.

For teams planning their back-to-school programs, the recommendations get specific:

• Shift to always-on activation from late spring into early fall
• Lean into value ecosystems such as CLO, member pricing, and loyalty
• Treat creator content as a conversion channel and build shoppable, trackable formats
• Work budget flexibility into the message, especially BNPL
• Tailor your merchandising approach by region

The guide links the forecasts to the reasons behind them, then to the partner types best positioned to capture demand as it forms. The regional breakdowns are practical for anyone running programs across borders, and the affiliate spotlights point to publishers already built for high-intent, value-conscious shoppers.

Download the eGuide