Retailers face digital accessibility gaps amid record back-to-school spending

Back-to-school spending in the United States is projected to reach a record $146.8 billion in 2026, according to the National Retail Federation. This represents the second-largest consumer spending event of the year. While online shopping remains the most popular channel, the way consumers navigate retail sites is shifting due to generative AI search tools.

Rather than starting at a retailer's homepage, shoppers are increasingly being directed by AI tools straight to specific product pages, comparison tables, or category listings. This shift has created new challenges for digital accessibility. AudioEye’s 2026 Digital Accessibility Index found that these deeper interior pages carry approximately 10% more accessibility issues than homepages.

While many accessibility programs focus on protecting the homepage, the rise of AI-driven entry points means shoppers are landing on pages that have not been adequately tested. A scan of over 160,000 pages across 6,100 websites in the U.S. and Europe revealed that interior pages averaged 62 accessibility issues, compared to 56 on homepages.