US back-to-school spending remains strong for pandemic-related items this year

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Of the $32.5 billion that US parents will spend on back-to-school purchases this year, $2.9 billion will go toward pandemic-related items, such as hand sanitizer and furniture for learning spaces at home. These products, along with the collective tech category, will see about a 40% spending increase, while expenditures on clothing and accessories will decline for the second year in a row.

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