Back-to-school shopping has always been one of retail’s biggest moments, but the way shoppers prepare for it is changing.

Back-to-school shopping no longer follows a predictable path. A single purchase might begin with an AI recommendation, continue with product reviews on social media, move to price comparisons across retailers, and end days later on a completely different device. As shoppers discover, research, and buy in more ways than ever before, the moments that influence a purchase are expanding beyond the traditional search engine or retailer website.

This year, one trend stands above the rest: AI is changing how shoppers discover products.

Instead of beginning with a search, more consumers are turning to AI to ask questions, compare options, and narrow their choices before they ever visit a retailer’s website. In fact, 47% of shoppers now use AI to research and compare products, while 39% use it to discover new products and recommendations.

That shift is creating new opportunities for brands to connect with shoppers earlier in the journey—and changing what it takes to stand out during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year.

Trend #1: Discovery starts earlier—and increasingly with AI

For years, marketers have focused on capturing demand once shoppers knew what they wanted. Someone searched for “best backpack for middle school,” clicked an ad, and eventually made a purchase.

Today, those journeys often begin much earlier. Instead of searching for a product, shoppers are asking broader questions. A parent might ask AI what supplies a first grader actually needs. A college student might ask for the best laptop for an engineering program within a certain budget. A teacher might ask how to stretch a classroom supply budget without sacrificing quality.

These aren’t traditional product searches. They’re conversations that combine discovery and evaluation into a single experience.

By the time shoppers arrive on a retailer’s website, many have already narrowed their options. Criteo’s data shows that shoppers referred by AI convert at 1.5x the rate of those referred by traditional search, highlighting how AI is helping consumers make more informed decisions before they ever click through to a retailer.

For marketers, it’s a reminder that discovery is no longer confined to the top of the funnel. Increasingly, it’s becoming one of the strongest drivers of performance.

Trend #2: The path to purchase is becoming more connected

Back-to-school shopping rarely happens in one sitting.

A shopper might discover a product recommendation through AI, watch reviews on social media during lunch, compare prices on a retailer’s website that evening, and complete the purchase a few days later after seeing another reminder on the open web.

Rather than moving through a neat, linear funnel, shoppers move fluidly between channels depending on what they need at that moment. This makes consistency more important than ever.

Showing up across multiple touchpoints helps reinforce your message while giving shoppers the confidence to return when they’re ready to buy. Instead of thinking about awareness, consideration, and conversion as separate campaigns, marketers increasingly need to connect those experiences into one cohesive strategy.

That shift is also influencing brand preference. According to eMarketer, nearly half of shoppers say they would consider a different brand or product if an AI assistant recommended an alternative. For marketers, that means the opportunity to influence purchasing decisions begins well before a shopper types a keyword into a search engine—particularly important for brands trying to market during compressed purchasing windows like back-to-school season.

Trend #3: Commerce data matters more than ever

AI is transforming advertising, but the quality of its recommendations depends on the quality of the data behind them.

Back-to-school shopping behavior changes quickly. Product demand shifts from backpacks and notebooks to laptops, calculators, dorm essentials, and classroom supplies as the season progresses. Consumer priorities also change as budgets tighten, promotions launch, and inventory fluctuates. Keeping up with those shifts manually is difficult for even the largest marketing teams.

AI that is rooted in commerce, or purchasing, data helps simplify that process by using real shopping signals to continuously optimize campaign performance. Rather than relying solely on broad audience assumptions or historical behavior, it can respond to how shoppers are actively discovering and evaluating products throughout the season.

For growing businesses with limited time and resources, that means spending less time making manual adjustments and more time focusing on promotions, creative, and customer experience.

Trend #4: Small teams are using AI to compete more effectively

One of the biggest misconceptions about AI advertising is that it’s only useful or scalable for large brands with dedicated marketing teams.

In reality, AI may have the biggest impact for small businesses. Launching and managing campaigns across multiple advertising platforms has become increasingly complex. Every platform has its own workflows, reporting, and optimization tools, making it difficult for lean teams to keep up—especially during seasonal peaks like back-to-school.

That’s where self-service platforms like Criteo GO can help.

Built with the same commerce expertise that powers Criteo’s Commerce Growth solutions, Criteo GO helps businesses drive discovery, acquire new customers, and maximize conversions without adding unnecessary complexity.

Its AI-assisted onboarding makes it easy to get started, while Commerce AI continuously optimizes targeting, bidding, and creative using real-time commerce signals. Instead of managing separate campaigns across multiple platforms, marketers can reach shoppers across the open web, social, video, apps, and emerging environments like ChatGPT from one place. That simplicity allows small teams to compete more effectively during one of retail’s most important seasons.

Preparing for the future of back-to-school shopping

Every year brings new back-to-school shopping trends, but this year’s biggest shift isn’t a new product category or another social platform. It’s the way shoppers are making buying decisions online.

AI is changing how people discover products, compare options, and build confidence before they buy. As discovery becomes more conversational and the path to purchase becomes more connected, brands have an opportunity to engage shoppers earlier than ever before.

The businesses that succeed won’t necessarily be the ones with the largest advertising budgets. They’ll be the ones that understand how shoppers are changing and adapt their marketing strategies accordingly. For growing businesses, that means embracing AI not as another marketing channel, but as a smarter way to reach customers across the channels they’re already using.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest back-to-school shopping trends this year?

One of the biggest trends is the growing role of AI in product discovery. Shoppers are increasingly using AI to research products, compare options, and make purchasing decisions before they visit a retailer’s website. At the same time, shoppers continue to move across multiple channels throughout their buying journey, making cross-channel advertising more important than ever.

How is AI changing back-to-school advertising?

AI is helping brands reach shoppers earlier in the customer journey while also improving campaign performance through automated optimization. By using commerce signals to optimize targeting, bidding, and creative, AI can help marketers adapt more quickly to changing shopper behavior throughout the season.

Why is cross-channel advertising important during back-to-school?

Back-to-school shoppers rarely rely on a single channel. They may discover products through AI, browse on social media, compare options on retailer websites, and purchase after seeing additional ads on the open web. A cross-channel strategy helps brands stay visible throughout those moments instead of relying on a single touchpoint.

How can small businesses use AI for back-to-school marketing?

AI-powered advertising platforms like Criteo GO help small businesses launch campaigns quickly, automate optimization, and reach shoppers across multiple channels without requiring extensive marketing resources. That allows lean teams to spend less time managing campaigns and more time growing their business.

See what Criteo GO can do for your business

Curious how your back-to-school campaigns could perform with AI-powered, cross-channel advertising?

See what back-to-school performance Criteo GO can drive for your brand with our free Performance Calculator.