Ellen Davis
July 21, 2016
Nothing really compares to the winter holiday season when it comes to retail sales, but back-to-school and back-to-college shopping is a significant spending event, with total spending expected to reach $75.8 billion this year.
Each year, NRF works with Prosper Insights & Analytics to find out when, where and how American families will shop for school and college supplies. Here are just a few insights from this year’s consumer survey:
- More families have kids in school — thanks to the large generation of Millennials who are parents of school-age children — which is boosting total back-to-school spending to near-record levels.
- Plans to shop at discount stores are down slightly, but it’s still the most popular destination for both back-to-school and back-to-college shopping.
- The largest portion of back-to-school shopping budgets goes toward apparel and electronics. Not only are new clothes and devices a necessity, but these items are also a way for students to express their personalities.
- Shoppers are already in stores and online. Last year’s shoppers procrastinated, but 2016 is a different story. Nearly three-quarters of back-to-school families are starting their shopping one to two months before school begins.
- Dads want their online orders delivered quickly. Men are two times more likely to use expedited shipping than women.
There’s more to learn from our SlideShare, which looks at back-to-school and back-to-college data for the 2016 season.
Top Trends for 2016 Back-to-School and College Shopping from National Retail Federation