16% of Consumers Plan to Do Back-to-School Shopping Online, Free Shipping Cited as Top Tactic for Enticing Customers

According to research from The NPD Group, Inc., nearly a third of consumers plan to increase their overall back-to-school spending. Meanwhile, the Internet is expected to be a back-to-school destination for 16 percent of consumers.

The survey of 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 and older found that 31 percent of respondents plan to spend more on their back-to-school shopping this year, up from 22 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, 24 percent plan to spend less than they did last year, down from 38 percent in 2011. Forty-six percent expect to spend the same as they did last year, up from 40 percent in 2011.

The NPD Group found that 37 percent of consumers plan to start their back-to-school shopping by Aug. 1, down slightly from 38 percent last year. Meanwhile, 58 percent plant to start by Sept. 1, up slightly from 57 percent last year.

In terms of back-to-school shopping locations, department stores was the most popular answer with a 26 percent response, up from 20 percent in 2011. This was followed by footwear specialty with 25 percent, up from 18 percent last year; online shopping with 16 percent, unchanged from last year; apparel specialty retailers with 15 percent, up from 13 percent last year; warehouse clubs with 13 percent, down from 14 percent last year; sporting goods stores with 7 percent, up from 4 percent last year; and catalog with 3 percent, down from 5 percent last year.

School supplies will be the most popular shopping category this year with a 78 percent response, followed by apparel with 62 percent, footwear with 55 percent, school bags with 43 percent, electronics with 26 percent, apparel accessories with 19 percent, calculators with 11 percent and sports equipment with 6 percent.

The NPD Group also looked at reasons why back-to-school items will be purchased. It found that value led the way with a 79 percent response, followed by requirements with 56 percent, a child’s desire for the item with 28 percent, replacement with 26 percent, trendy/fashionable with 15 percent and friends’ influence with 2 percent.

A separate study from PriceGrabber revealed that 74 percent of consumers point to free shipping as the top tactic that entices them to buy back-to-school products, followed by sales with 71 percent, price cuts with 66 percent, coupons with 63 percent, online promotions with 43 percent, price matching with 28 percent, in-store only promotions with 28 percent and bundling with 14 percent.

PriceGrabber also found that 63 percent of consumers plan to spend up to $500 for back-to-school shopping, up 15 percentage points from 48 percent in 2011.

The survey also found that 62 percent of consumers will save money on their back-to-school shopping with the use of online shopping and comparison-shopping sites, followed by 56 percent who will shop at discount/bargain/outlet stores.

Sources:

https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/pressreleases/pr_120724a

http://www.pricegrabber.com/about.php/about=press/article=231