Survey: Four Out Of Five Back-To-School Consumers Say They Would Be Influenced By Online Coupon

school supplies

Consumers will not cut back on back-to-school spending, as more than half -- 54.4% -- plan to spend more or at least the same amount on back-to-school clothing and supplies as they did last year, according to a new report from online ad rep Burst Media.

Burst found that the Internet will be a key shopping tool for back-to-school consumers, with nearly half -- 48.9% -- saying they will use it to research and/or purchase products as they get ready for the school year.

In addition, Internet advertising will influence consumers' purchase behavior, as 47.1% of respondents report they are influenced by online advertisements geared toward the back-to-school season. A full four out of five -- 79.3% -- say online back-to-school coupons or promotions would or could influence their purchase decisions.

"The Internet plays a significant role in the back-to-school shopping season," said Mark Kaefer, marketing director at Burst Media. "More than a shopping tool, it also offers savvy marketers the opportunity to get their message to highly targetable audiences and influence purchase decisions with advertising creative that offer time-sensitive coupons and promotion codes."

Shoppers for college kids will be the biggest spenders this season, with more than one-quarter -- 26.2% -- stating they will spend at least $500 or more.

As previous studies have shown, Burst found that moms and female guardians comprise the majority -- 63.4% -- of primary shoppers for the back-to-school season.

The Burst study also explored the factors that parents believe influence their child's brand and product preferences.

Not surprisingly, parents/guardians overall believe they are the major influencers in their children's clothing and product preferences -- at 41.0%. However, as kids grow older, respondents feel that influence lessens.

Other key factors that play a significant role in shaping brand and product preferences include friends, at 36.9%; television, movies and/or music, at 24.2%; ads, at 23.1%; and brand names, at 22.8%.

Two-thirds -- 65.9% -- of respondents have not completed their back-to-school shopping yet. One-quarter -- 23.6% -- say they will have their shopping complete by mid-July, and 10.5% do not plan to shop this season.

For its research, Burst Media surveyed more than 1,900 adults who identified themselves as a parent or guardian of a school-aged child.

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