Numerator: Mass retailers win when it comes to back-to-school shopping

The overwhelming majority of shoppers prefer to shop in-store for back-to-school items.

Sixty-nine percent of back-to-school shoppers plan to buy their supplies in-store, according to a survey by Numerator, with 80% of them planning to shop at   mass retailers such as Walmart and Target. Twenty percent plan to shop at dollar stores, and 15% plan to shop at club stores. 

In addition, 17% of back-to-school shoppers plan to buy online and have the items delivered. Nine percent plan to buy online for in-store pickup,

The survey also found that shoppers want to finish back-to-school shopping quickly and early. Thirty-four percent  of back-to-school shoppers said they will try and get all shopping done in one day or trip.  Eighty-six percent plan to be done shopping by early August. Only 2% said hey will continue shopping until September or later.

According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-school spending is expected to reach an “unparalleled” $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year and the previous high of $37.1 billion in 2021.

Other highlights from the Numerator study are below.

•Consumers are looking to save on back-to-school spending by shopping sales (45%), using coupons (35%), comparing prices (34%) and reusing old supplies (33%). 

•Over half of back-to-school shoppers will spend over $100 on supplies. Fifty-seven percent plan to spend over $100 on school supplies this year, and 38% of consumers with children in 9-12th grade will spend over $200. 

•The importance of name-brand school supplies varies by category and age of student. Almost one-third (30%) of all shoppers consider name-brand supplies important. Among this group, those with children in K-5th grades care more about name-brand art supplies (80%), while shoppers with kids in 9-12th are more likely to find name brand important for electronics (85%) and apparel (85%).

•Back-to-school shoppers are more likely to be purchasing supplies for younger children. Over half of consumers (51%) are shopping for K-5th grade, 35% are shopping for 6-8th grade, and 46% are shopping for 9-12th grade. 

Numerator’s 2023 Back-to-School Survey was fielded between 7/12/2023-7/14/2023 to 1,200 individuals.