Study: Online leading back-to-school channel

New York – Online is the leading channel for consumers to perform both back-to-school and back-to-college shopping. According to a study from e-commerce marketing technology provider HookLogic and polling company Qriously, 35% of consumers shop for back-to-school suppliers online, while 34% shop in-store and 33% shop both channels (some totals equal more than 100% due to rounding).



Figures for back-to-college shopping tilt more strongly in the favor of online, with 38% of consumers using the online channel to purchase back-to-college items, compared to 30% who shop in-store and 32% who shop both channels.



August is the most popular month to start back-to-school shopping, with 38% of consumers initiating back-to-school shopping in August. Thirty-three percent wait until September and 30% start in July.



Looking ahead, 69% of back-to-school shoppers plan to spend about the same in 2014 as they did in 2013, while 19% intend to spend more and 5% will spend less. Seven percent are not sure. In 2013, traffic for school and office supplies peaked in July, when it was 12-times the rate of the lowest traffic day, recorded in October.