As the back-to-school season enters its final stretch, retailers are adapting to more personalized journeys spurred by AI assistants.

“Back-to-school is one of the strongest use cases for AI-assisted shopping because it's inherently complex,” said Aniket Deosthali, CEO and co-founder of Envive AI. “Families aren't buying a single item; they're coordinating school supplies, clothing, electronics, dorm essentials, and household budgets, often across multiple retailers.”

Despite early sales like June’s Amazon Prime Day, back-to-school is skewing later this year, making for an extended season. Less than half (48%) of planned spending was expected to wrap up by the end of July, down from 61% during the same period in 2025, per a May Deloitte survey reported by EMARKETER.

Big spenders and savers

Reaching the segment of back-to-school shoppers who use generative AI as part of their journey can be lucrative for brands.

• Some 29% of parents use a combination of genAI, traditional search, and social media for back-to-school shopping, according to a May Deloitte survey.
• These parents spend $737 on average for back-to-school, nearly double non-tech parents ($381), and significantly more than those who use traditional search only ($494), per Deloitte.

This doesn’t mean the average genAI shopper isn’t cautious with spending. Families are also comparison shopping for lower prices and including budgets in AI assistant conversations.

“Instead of searching for notebooks or backpacks, they'll ask for ‘everything my second grader needs’ or ‘a dorm room setup under $600,’” said Deosthali.

Personalized shopper conversations

Shoppers who use AI assistants arrive further into the decision-making process than shoppers on traditional search. They ask about specific products and explain the intent behind the purchase, which hands an advantage to any retailer whose products make it into the response.

“Consumers using AI assistants tend to be much more intent-driven than traditional online shoppers,” said Deosthali. “Instead of browsing categories or comparing dozens of products themselves, they're describing exactly what they're trying to accomplish.”

Many shoppers are adopting AI assistants without abandoning traditional search.

Some 70% of consumers said they use AI tools more now than one year ago, though only 17% report using traditional search engines less, according to a Fractl study reported in EMARKETER, which also found 52% of consumers still believe that Google will be their primary search tool in five years.

“AI handles much of the discovery and comparison, so consumers spend less time searching and more time refining their preferences,” Deosthali said. “They're also providing much richer context through budget, delivery deadlines, favorite brands, sustainability preferences, or specific use cases. This allows AI to deliver recommendations that feel far more personalized than a traditional search experience.”

New intent signals

Retailers are reading intent signals from AI chatbots that traditional search never produced.

“This season, we're seeing shoppers communicate much more nuanced intent than simple product searches,” said Deosthali. “Budget remains a major signal, but it's increasingly paired with other priorities like durability, quality, delivery timing, age appropriateness, and brand preference.”

In some cases, consumers are thinking beyond specific products or brands, for example including a budget in their query, or asking for “everything” a student needs.

“Those requests provide AI with significantly richer context, making it easier to match shoppers with products that truly fit their needs rather than simply matching keywords,” Deosthali explained.

How retailers respond

Showing up in AI recommendations is now the retailer's job. 

“Product information has to be structured so AI can confidently understand what a product is, who it's for, why it's different, whether it's available, and when it can arrive,” Deosthali said. “However, branding still matters as trust is a key component of what AI relies on. Through searching for strong reviews, reliable fulfillment, transparent policies, and a consistent brand reputation which all increase confidence in a recommendation.”

Additionally, retailers who have their own assistants on owned digital channels are receiving new intent signals from back-to-school shoppers.

Walmart's Sparky assistant users have average order values 35% higher than nonusers, CEO John Furner said on the retailer’s Q4 earnings call reported in EMARKETER.

“AI assistants have evolved to become an integral part of the shopping journey, making it no longer enough to have compelling creative alone,” said Deosthali. “The brands that succeed will combine high-quality product data with messaging that clearly communicates value, expertise, and trust, whether shoppers discover them through AI, search, social, or on the brand's own site.”