NRF: Back-to-school shoppers take studied approach

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Parents this year will be a little more cautious about their back-to-school spending.

According to NRF’s Back-to-School Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630.36 on school needs.

This figure is down 6% from $669.28 in 2014. However, families on average have spent 42% more on back to school during the past 10 years. Total spending is expected to reach $24.9 billion. Total spending for K-12 and college is expected to reach $68 billion. (A survey released yesterday by the ICSC showed an uptick in spending this year...CLICK to yesterday’s story).

Regardless of the slight decrease, survey results point to a more confident consumer when it comes to spending and the impact of the economy. The survey found 76% of families with school-age children say they will change their spending because of the economy, the lowest in the seven years NRF has been tracking it, and down from 81% the prior year.

Almost all parents (93%) will purchase new apparel, spending an average of $217.82, Ninety-four percent will buy new school supplies, spending an average of $97.74. Families will also spend $117.56 on new shoes.

In 2014, 58% of parents said they would buy electronics for their school-age children, and planned to spend an average of $212.35, one of the highest amounts seen in the survey’s history. Having less of a need for electronics this year, however, families said they would decrease their spending on gadgets for their children and will spend an average of $197.24.

More families with children in grades K-12 are opting to wait before rushing out to shop. Twenty percent will shop at least two months before school, down from 22% the prior year. Forty-three percent will shop at least three weeks to one month before school, down slightly from 44% the previous year. More families (30%) will shop one to two weeks before school, up from 25% in 2014.

Popular destinations for back-to-school shopping include discount stores (62%), department stores (56%), clothing stores (53%), office supply stores (36%) and electronics stores (22%). And slightly more than one-third (36%) of those looking for school items will shop online.

For the first time, NRF asked about shoppers’ intentions to use retailers’ omnichannel offerings; of those planning to shop online, nearly half (48%) say they will take advantage of retailers’ buy online, pick up in store or ship to store options, and 17% will look for expedited shipping offers. Nine in 10 (92%) will take advantage of retailers’ free shipping offers.

Broken out by age, millennials are much more likely to use these channels: Two-thirds of 18-24- and 25-34-year-olds will use a buy online, pick up in store or ship to store option (66% and 65% respectively), and 15% of 25-34-year-olds will use a reserve online option, much higher than the 9% of average adults who plan to do so. Additionally, 23% of 18-24-year-olds will use same-day delivery, significantly more than the 10% of average adults.

Families with children in college and college students will spend an average of $899.18, down slightly from $916.48 the prior year. Total spending is expected to reach $43.1 billion.

After spending significantly more on electronics last year, the average person shopping for electronics will spend $207.27, down from $243.79. Families with college students and students themselves will spend $136.95 on apparel, $117.98 on food items to stock their dorms and apartments, $66.70 on school supplies, $72.79 on shoes and $78.02 on personal care items.

Nearly half (48%) of college shoppers will head to a discount store, while another 45% will shop at a department store and 31% will shop at an office supply store. Nearly four in 10 (39%) will shop online.