Report: Late BTS shoppers looking for deals

CHICAGO — Retailers still have time to capitalize on what is turning out to be a late back-to-school shopping, according to a just-released study.

In a nationwide survey of 1,000 consumers responsible for back-to-school shopping conducted this week, 63% of shoppers said they not yet completed their back-to-school shopping, with the majority saying they are holding out for late season deals. In the survey by Market Track, a provider of advertising, promotional, brand protection and pricing intelligence solutions, over 85% of respondents said they would do most of their shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. And 90% of shoppers indicated that they intend to spend the same or more than last year.

Market Track’s research has shown that there has been a notable shift to digitally focused promotions this season with an overall decrease in print promotions at a rate of over 20%.

However, the shift to digital promotions could be a bit ahead of where deal-minded parents are, who are primarily paying for back-to-school purchases. The survey found that print circulars are being used most by parents at a rate of 75%, while 43% of kids are using circulars to find the best back-to-school deals.

Kids are more plugged into digital with 30% using retail websites and 21% using social media to see what is on sale. The results also revealed that 80% of kids are influencing the purchase decisions for back-to-school, which has driven retailers to take a diversified approach to promotions and advertising.

The survey foreshadowed that big-box retailers will be the victors of the season, with 64% of parents and 56% of students saying that they will do most of their shopping for back-to-school items at mass merchandisers such as Walmart, Target and Kmart.

While online shopping continues to gain traction, over 85% of respondents said they would do most of their shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. Mobile shopping also continues to grow, with 27% of the responses indicating shoppers have made back-to-school purchases on their mobile devices. The survey also noted that 40% of shoppers used or will use their mobile devices while in the store to compare prices and look for discounts on back-to-school products.