Back-to-school trends: A+ inspiration for students, teachers, and parents

As we make our way into August, one thing is for sure: Back-to-school shopping is in full swing. And despite fears about inflation and tariffs, over 90% of shoppers plan to spend the same or more during this back-to-school season than they did last year—averaging nearly $900 per household—according to Retail Dive. 

Think it’s too early to get started? The NRF says 60% of shoppers have already gotten started, and searches on Faire for “back to school” peaked during July of last year (not August or September). So now is your opportunity to stock your shops with everything you need to fill their backpacks. 

Of course, back-to-school shopping isn’t all textbooks and pencils. It’s dorm room decor to make bare walls feel more welcoming; it’s paper goods that make learning fun and exciting; it’s lunchboxes and utensils to make lunchtime delicious and fueling (not tiresome!). 

Below you’ll find the trends we’re spotting—backed by Faire data and insights—along with plenty of products that are sure to make the grade for students, teachers, and parents alike. 

It’s all in the (dorm) details

Dorm rooms are no longer just a place to crash after a long day of studying or partying. Thanks to #DormTok, dorm rooms are becoming canvases for creative identity and personal expression, while still being functional too. To find that perfect balance of utility and aesthetics, consumers are pulling out their wallets: The NRF predicts they’ll spend up to $87 billion on back-to-college shopping alone. Every July on Faire, we see searches for “dorm” double, so now is the time to start looking for the goods. Here are some of our editors’ picks. 

Decor

• City wall art: Add some much-needed color to drab dorm walls while repping hometown pride. 
• Vintage art posters: From old movie posters to sophisticated maps and beautiful diagrams of fruits and vegetables, these pieces cover a wide range of themes and interests. 
• Girls newspaper headline art: This cheeky framed poster is the perfect pairing to a girly gallery wall. 

Bedding

• Organic throw blanket: Everyone needs an extra blanket to curl up with for long nights of studying—especially in aesthetically pleasing autumnal hues. 
• Twin XL dorm kit: Need a whole bedding set? This all-in-one kit is just the thing—in twin XL, the size of most dorm beds. 
• Three-piece quilt set: We love this three-piece quilt set. It’s sophisticated, colorful, and calming, perfect for the chaotic scene that is college. 

Organization

• Acrylic desk organizer: Keep desk mess at bay with this beautiful storage unit that can hold your phone, glasses, and pencils—even makeup if your bathroom needs some extra storage too.
• Four-tier desk organizer: This sophisticated four-level organizer has it all, offering space for notebooks, papers, calculators, pens and highlighters, and even a cute plant. Set one up in your shop as inspiration, and parents and students alike will be delighted to add it to their cart.  

Paper goods with personality

No matter your age, back to school will always mean a set of fresh pens, notebooks, journals, maybe a few stickers—a reset where productivity meets a little bit of self-care. On Faire, annual searches for “planners” jumped 52% from June to July of 2024 and remained high through January, and we expect a similar trend this year. (Searches for “diaries” followed a similar pattern.) 

As you’re looking to stock your shop, there’s a lot to consider and truly so much to explore depending on the types of consumers who walk into your store. Take a simple planner. You could go streamlined and modern, dreamy and floral, or hyped up with bold positivity. Or there are journals that provide a means of self-expression, whether shoppers prefer the Wild West, colorful patterns, or card games. (Not to mention all the ways to accessorize these items with stickers for aesthetics and for productivity.) And one can’t have journals and planners without writing implements. But consumers are no longer just using pens from the bank and simple pencils. They want modular highlighters and markers that come in gorgeous colors too.     

Water bottles are getting … smaller! 

For years, water bottles have been a status symbol, and with Watertok, it seemed that bigger has always been better. In 2019, we had the Hydro Flask. In 2021, we had the Stanley Quencher. 2023 brought us the Owala. But what will 2025 bring? New York Magazine is predicting that smaller water bottles are going to become the next new thing. “It’s time to unburden ourselves, as a people, from the idea that we must carry an entire day’s water supply at all times,” they write. 

Last year on Faire, searches for “water bottles” peaked in July 2024. And searches this year in June are already up 14% year over year, which means we’re expecting even more interest as we make our way to back-to-school time. Pinterest, too, has taken note that 58% of consumers searching for water bottles are between the ages of 18 and 24—solidifying the idea that water bottles aren’t just for hydration, they’re a status symbol for younger generations. 

The younger sets will be particularly charmed by these animal water bottles with screw-top lids, while older teens will love these more sophisticated bottles in a slew of grown-up colors (straw included). Feeling sporty? These collapsible bottles are just the ticket, as are these even smaller ones that are perfect for attaching to a bike or fanny pack when you’re on the go.  

Bento boxes are the new paper bag 

No longer are parents just wrapping up a sandwich in a brown bag. They’re focusing on balanced meals and nutrition. One great way to find that balance? Packing ingredients into a bento box. While the practice of using bento boxes to carry food dates back to Japan’s Edo Period, modern-day bento boxes, according to The New York Times, “are leakproof with kid-friendly latches and colors and, importantly, a compartmentalized interior that provides a blueprint for packing lunch and removes some of the stress of planning.” Sounds convenient, right? They’re even getting a grown-up look for the office, too, as consumers want to bring food from home in order to spend less at restaurants. 

Searches on Faire for “lunch box” and “bento box” have peaked in July for the past two years, doubling their annual search volume compared with other times of the year—and Pinterest predicts consumer searches for bento box lunch will peak in August, so be prepared for the rush. Here are some of our favorite options on Faire. 

• OmieBox: This insulated bento-inspired box keeps foods hot and cold and comes in a range of fun and bold colors. 
• Ali & Oli bento box: Made from 100% food-grade silicone, this three-compartment bento box is leakproof and easy to clean. 
• Stainless steel bento box: With three tiers, this bento box provides you with plenty of space to keep your food separate (and delicious) with no plastic in sight.
• Coconut cutlery: If you’re going to pack food, you’ll need some utensils too! Instead of plastic cutlery, opt for this sustainable set made from repurposed coconut wood. 
• Wheat straw cutlery set: Another sustainable option is this three-in-one cutlery set made from biodegradable wheat straw. 
• Stainless steel spork: Keep things simple and streamlined with a stainless steel spork, which comes in an array of kid-friendly colors, like pink and gold. 
• Barcelona mini lunch bag: As far as lunch bags go, this one is as handsome as can be. It’s functional too—insulated, waterproof, and easy to clean. 
• Zipper lunch bag: This cheery lunch tote has plenty of space for lunch (and a water bottle!). With a fun orange pattern, it’ll stand out from the sea of other lunch bags at school. 
• Insulated lunch tote: What’s not to love about this lunch tote? It has a large capacity, is machine washable, has a large strap for wearing over your shoulder, and comes in lots of eye-catching patterns. 

And to top it off, make sure they know you love them with easy-to-complete lunch notes: Here are some affirmations and a notebook for your own creations. 

Gifting

Whether parents want to put together a care package for an outbound freshman or recognize the hard work of school administrators and teachers, a new school year is full of opportunities for gifting. Searches for “teacher gifts” have multiple peaks throughout the year (including April, July, and November). This tells us that there’s never a bad time to think about teachers in your community. So if you’re looking to stock up, here are some thoughtful picks for your back-to-school gift-giving endeavors. 

Gifts for new students: 

Make sure they’re eating well with The Easy College Cookbook, and keep their pen case full with these cheeky, colorful pens. Sure, they’ll need to do their own laundry, but it’ll be better if their laundry bag isn’t an eyesore and if their hand sanitizer smells good. Do they need more seating in their dorm room? Try a giant inflatable pillow (talk about functional decor). For a throw-back gift that any Gen X gifter will love: a little coin pouch. 

Gifts for teachers: 

For the teachers who are always putting their hair up, there’s a claw clip for that: in pencil form and in the shape of a school bus. There are also cute headbands, like this one. Every teacher will appreciate this little emergency kit, which features 18 educator essentials, like Band-Aids, a safety pin, a red pen, and even gold stars. For their keys and ID cards, there are beaded lanyards and keychains. Then, there is the arm candy. And no teacher would refuse a gift card, especially in one of these themed gift card holders, which takes teacher appreciation to a whole new level. 

Check out our curated collection of back-to-school products →