• by Ben Frederick , Staff Writer @mp_benfred, July 19, 2016

Dads will be more likely to purchase back-to-school supplies on their mobile devices, according to Rubicon Project's second Back-To-School Consumer Pulse Survey.

The fall back-to-school shopping rush may seem a distant dream now, but it is top of mind for parents, over a third of whom have started their shopping already.

Sixty-six percent of parents will be doing at least some of their shopping on their devices. The newer the parent is, the more likely it is they will be using a mobile device to make a purchase. Dads are more likely than moms to do at least a quarter of their shopping from a device as well (41% vs 24%).

Sixty-eight percent of parents have a retailer app, and over half of those that do say they have Amazon. Most use apps to make purchases, while a large majority also use the apps for price comparison and finding out about sales.

Overall, parents will spend about $912 per child, but that number is skewed by the parents of incoming college freshmen, who will spend about $1,300 per child.

The most expensive supplies will be (duh) electronics, and many parents will skip brick-and-mortar to order new gadgets for their kids. School supplies are still more likely to be bought in stores, according to the survey.

If you're a mobile marketer looking to influence parents, they can be found on their devices.

This column was originally published in Moblog on June 30, 2016.