ICYMI: NRF expert discusses strong summer spending fueled by celebrations and major events

Travel and mid-year promotions make summer a key spending season for consumers and retailers, but this year stands out with more opportunities than usual to celebrate, connect and spend. From the 2026 FIFA World Cup to America’s 250th anniversary, the calendar is packed with events bringing people together. Along with traditional drivers like travel, graduations, Father’s Day and back-to-school shopping, these moments are expected to fuel spending activity across a range of retail categories and create opportunities for retailers to help consumers make the most of the season.

Looking ahead to back-to-school 2026, NRF has published a preview blog post breaking down record levels of early shopping as of early June. NRF’s annual back-to-school survey will be released in mid-July.