15 Mind-Blowing Stats About Back-To-School Shopping

The summer is all but over, with back-to-school marketing in full swing as brands and retailers fight to standout—and rightfully so. Last year the back-to-school season represented 17% of total retail sales for the year, coming in second to the December holiday season.

15 Mind-Blowing Stats About Back-To-School Shopping

The summer is all but over, and you know what that means: Back-to-school marketing is in full swing as brands and retailers fight to stand out—and rightfully so. In 2017, the back-to-school season represented 17% of total retail sales for the year, coming in second to the December holiday season.

What can we expect this year? Where will consumers shop? How much will they spend? Keep reading.

  1. Total spending for K-12 schools and college combined is projected to reach $82.8 billion, nearly as high as last year’s $83.6 billion. (Source: National Retail Federation)
  2. Back-to-school spending is expected to reach $510 per household in 2018, slightly up from $501 in 2017. (Source: Deloitte)
  3. Children will likely influence over $21 billion in back-to-school spending during the back-to-school season. (Source: Deloitte)
  4. A vast majority (71%) of shoppers will do their back-to-school shopping in-store. (Source: Morning Consult)
  5. Back-to-school shoppers will make an average of 16 trips to purchase products in-store between July and September. (Source: NPD)
  6. Fifty-one percent of parents will spend over $200 per child for the 2018 back-to-school shopping period. (Source: Morning Consult)
  7. Consumers are starting their back-to-school shopping early this year. Most (77%) said they plan to start at least three weeks before school begins, up from last year’s 74% and 64% a decade ago. (Source: National Retail Federation)
  8. About 89% of parents say the availability of mobile coupons determines where they shop. (Source: Convert And Convert)
  9. A third of parents (33%) reported they will be actively searching for coupons while perusing the aisles. (Source: Convince And Convert)
  10. In 2017, July 24, July 31, and Sept. 4 (Labor Day)—all Mondays—were some of the highest online traffic days across retail categories. (Source: Bazaar Voice)
  11. A quarter of parents consult Facebook when looking for back-to-school clothing inspiration. (Source: Convince And Convert)
  12. Seventy-three percent of parents surveyed indicate they will spend the most money on back-to-school clothing. (Source: Morning Consult)
  13. Mobile shopping during back to school took a big leap in 2017, with mobile orders jumping up by 44% compared with 2016. The increase in orders resulted in a 64% increase in revenue. Average order value (AOV) also increased by $13, to $109. (Source: eMarketer)
  14. Twenty-seven percent of back-to-school shoppers plan to organize their shopping lists on Pinterest. (Source: Convince And Convert)
  15. And, remember, it’s not just moms who are doing the shopping. Fifty percent of dads with kids under 18 plan to shop for back-to-school for the 2018 season. Dads also spend, on average, about 10% more than moms. (Source: Oath)

Check out this collection of stories on back-to-school shopping and marketing.