• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 10, 2016

According to a new Crowdtap study of U.S. adults leading their families’ back to school shopping this year, analyzing their shopping habits around three key categories of items: clothing, school supplies and food/snacks, many U.S. families begin their BTS shopping as early as May, and marketers are already ramping up their back to school marketing efforts.

The study found that Pinterest is going to be BIG this year. The research found that 27% of back to school shoppers said they planned to organize their shopping lists via Pinterest boards. The platform is also going to be an important destination for lunchtime and/or snack inspiration: one-quarter of all respondents said they will lean on Pinterest to get fresh recipe ideas for back to school.

Blogs & social media platforms rival traditional ads when it comes to shoppers’ go-to source for back to school inspiration

Purchase decisions for back to school vary by category.  Product quality is the leading factor influencing purchases for supplies & food/snacks; Sales edge out quality for clothing.

Despite ecommerce growth, shopping in physical stores reigns supreme. Most shoppers we polled said they favor shopping in physical stores for both clothing and school supplies. This is likely due to families’ desire to see products in person and to keep their back to school shopping traditions alive despite an increasingly digital world.

Please visit Crowdtap.com for additional information (corp.crowdtap.com)