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Survey: Early bird back-to-school shoppers spend the most

July 21, 2016

A new survey on back-to-school retail shopping trends reveals early bird shoppers have larger spending budgets and are looking for recommendations and shoppers who begin by the end of July will spend an average of 26 percent more than those starting later.

Sixty-seven percent said their purchases were primarily dependent on school recommendations rather than child's preference.

Those statistics are from a survey conducted by Deloitte LLP last month, an independent research company polled 1,200 parents of school-aged children, in order to predict back-to-school expenditures.

Parents are predicted to spend $488 for clothing, school supplies, and electronics. Thirty-one percent of parents plan to spend more on technology than traditional supplies, as it is being heavily implemented in the classroom. Twenty-nine percent of consumers plan to spend $456 specifically on computers and $286 on tablets and smartphones.

"Back-to-school is more about function than fun because people automatically expect the deals all the time — they get the savings plus the convenience without a lot of extra work," said Rod Sides, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP.

Approximately two-thirds of shopper's budget will be spent in store, yet 61 percent say that online promotions will influence where they buy. Forty percent of parents prefer to buy online and pick up in store. Further, 62 percent are more likely to purchase from online retailers with free shipping.

"Back-to-school shopping has become more surgical and task-oriented as parents customize their own assortment based on discounts, free shipping and pre-purchase options. That puts retailers to the test to create a connection that goes beyond just a deal-driven interaction with an indifferent shopper," said Sides, in a release.