Report: Most back-to-school shopping set to be in store

PHILADELPHIA — Parents may be using mobile to look for deals this back-to-school season, but most purchases are happening in-store.



Sixty-eight percent (68%) of shoppers will make their back-to-school purchases in-store vs. 32% who would prefer to shop only online, according to the “2017 Back-to-School Sales Report,” from ChargeItSpot.



When it comes to finding back-to-school deals, 30% of shoppers planned to use mobile coupon apps as their main source for sales promotions. Others planned to use online deal sites (19%), newspapers/magazines (12%), retail newsletters/catalogs (9%), social media (8%), and radio/TV (5%).



“Back-to-school shopping is one of the busiest shopping seasons for retailers,” said Douglas Baldasare, CEO and founder of ChargeItSpot. “With school supplies becoming more expensive and more high-tech, our findings show that parents are serious about finding the best deals.”



When asked how much they would likely spend on back-to-school shopping, most parents planned to spend between $100 and $300 and under $100 (both categories tied at 30%); 19% planned to spend between $300 and $500, 11% would spend between $500 and $700, only 6% planned to spend more than $1,000, and 5% planned to spend between $700 and $1,000.



Meanwhile, 42% said they would be shopping for one student, 30% said two students, 15% were shopping for three students, and 13% would shop for four or more students, data revealed.



Clothing will garner the most sales, with 58% of parents will be spending most of their money on apparel during back-to-school shopping this year. Only 16% said they would spend the most on traditional school supplies (pens, pencils, etc.), 16% will buy shoes.



Meanwhile, 10% are purchasing electronics — and merchandise runs the gamut. For example, 32% are in the market for computers/laptops, 15% are eyeing tablets, 13% will buy smartphones, 10% need calculators, and 7% will spend on accessories. One-fourth (25%) will not make any electronics purchases.



Hoping to get a jump on the deals — and crowds —28% planned to start shopping one month before school starts. Others started earlier in the summer (27%), and 24% would begin a few weeks before school starts. Another 24% would wait until a week before school starts (24%), and 9% will wait until after school starts.