Survey: Consumers heading to stores for back-to-school shopping
A new survey provides insight into the habits of 2024 back-to-school shoppers.
The majority (74%) of surveyed consumers plan to conduct their back-to-school shopping in-store, remaining the top choice for shoppers year-over-year, according to the "2024 U.S. Back-to-School Consumer Sentiment Survey" from Sensormatic Solutions, the global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls.
[READ MORE: JLL: Back-to-school shopping to rise nearly 22%; physical stores most popular option]
In addition, 43% of respondents say they will utilize “buy online, pick up in-store” (BOPIS) for back-to-school purchases (compared to 34% in 2023) and 25% say they will utilize curbside pickup (compared to 19% in 2023).
Respondents planned to start back-to-school shopping early, with 18% saying they intended to start shopping in June (an increase from 11% in 2023). However, August is still expected to be the busiest month for back-to-school shopping in the U.S., according to Sensormatic traffic insights.
The survey also highlighted the main factors impacting back-to-school shopping behavior:
- Security: Forty-four percent of respondents said that being safe and comfortable in store environments is one of the most important factors they consider when choosing a retail location.
- Price: Three in four respondents consider price a crucial factor when shopping in-store, with one in thee (34%) planning to spend significantly less than in previous years due to the state of the economy. Strategies respondents plan to use to manage budgets include reusing supplies from prior years (51%).
- BOPIS: Specific reasons for using BOPIS among respondents planning to utilize the payment method include avoiding shipping fees (42%) and controlling spending by prioritizing specific items (21%). However, 62% of these respondents say they have made additional in-store purchases unrelated to their original orders when using BOPIS.
- Sustainability: More than eight in 10 ( 83%) 2024 respondents said sustainability will play a role in their back-to-school purchasing decisions, up from 77% in 2023. Respondents are prioritizing sustainable practices, such as using reusable shopping bags (45%), choosing products with sustainable packaging (41%) and opting for items made with eco-friendly materials like recycled paper and biodegradable pens (38%). In addition, 26% of respondents are purchasing clothes and supplies from second-hand stores.
"With the rise in in-store traffic this time of year, it is critical that retailers look at their store operations and staffing to ensure they are meeting and exceeding consumer expectations by creating an environment that truly delivers," said Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions. "Getting it right means knowing your customers and being flexible enough to adapt to their needs."
