FACTBOX: Five facts about U.S. back-to-school shopping

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The back-to-school shopping season will be a key test for U.S. retailers who are trying to reignite sales in the recession.

Here are five facts about back-to-school shopping:

* Back-to-school is the second-largest shopping event each year in the United States behind the winter holiday season.

* The back-to-school shopping season kicks off after the Independence Day holiday on July 4 and runs through Labor Day in early September.

* In 2008, Americans spent $54.1 billion on items for school children, including those heading to college, according to the National Retail Federation.

* Popular back-to-school purchases include items such as apparel, shoes, electronics and school supplies. Back-to-college spending also includes furnishings for dorm rooms and collegiate branded items such as clothing and bumper stickers.

* Last year, the average family expected to spend nearly $600 on back-to-school purchases according to an NRF survey conducted by BIGresearch in early July 2008.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl, editing by Matthew Lewis)