Report: Shoppers seeking bargains for back-to-school needs

Denver -- The majority of consumers are being budget-smart about back-to-school shopping. Not only are they seeking out the best prices, but they’re also shopping early – 48% of shoppers polled said they were beginning their shopping a month before the first bell rings, according to a back-to-school shopping report by ShopAtHome.com, the coupon search engine. The report, which tracks consumer search habits on the site, also shows that 42% of consumers will shop more generic brands than last year.



“Students aren’t the only ones who have learned a thing or two in the past year. Consumers are getting smarter not only about what they spend their money on, but how they spend it,” said Marc Braunstein, co-founder and CEO of ShopAtHome.com. “People have learned that, by shopping intelligently, it is possible to spend less without really cutting back.”



Other findings of the Buy-havior Report include:

• Although most shoppers are focused on getting the best deals, 38% of consumers plan to spend more money this year.


• Shoppers estimate they will spend approximately $331 on clothing, accessories and shoes this school year.


• Seventy-six percent of consumers plan to shop the sales more often to help curb back-to-school spending; 53% plan to use more coupons.


• Forty-two percent of shoppers are ignoring brand name items in favor of their less-costly generic counterparts.


• Seven percent of shoppers don’t plan on starting their shopping until the first day of school.