• by Melynda Fuller , August 20, 2020

Combining resources, including its first-party data and insights platform, Meredith Consumer Pulse polls and unique page views from the Better Homes & Gardens, Parents and Allrecipes sites, the studio has gleaned product-buying trends impacted by behavior around children returning to school.

Data shows parents are more worried about safety than the emotional and social benefits of their kids as schools reopen.

Nearly half of moms, 44%, are worried about their children getting sick as they return to classrooms, but the studio predicts many parents are concerned about their children bringing the coronavirus home with them.

According to the studio’s data, articles dealing with disinfecting on Better Homes & Gardens’ website increased in views by 36,531% year-over-year in April and May. The studio expects this to translate to an increase in consumption of gels, sprays and wipes that parents will use for their families.

As more parents consider alternatives to school transportation, including walking, biking or scootering, the studio predicts greater need for reflective coats, safety and rain gear, helmets and more. In fact, bikes and biking articles saw a 31% year-over-year increase in April and May at Parents.com.

Parents are also investing in better school-from-home wares, with the data studio predicting strong demand for study aids, workbooks, tablets and learning apps as 32% of moms worry their children will fall behind because of remote learning. “Learning” and “math and science” articles both saw an uptick in views on Parents.com during the spring.

Parents are looking to upgrade their kids bedrooms, too, by purchasing desks, loft beds, desk lamps, chairs, lab desks and updated bedroom décor, while considering the addition of a TV, the data studio reports. Articles about kids and TV increased in views by 537% year-over-year in April and May.

The studio also expects to see an increase in parents purchasing laptops, tables, headphones, monitors, docking stations, smart speakers and better Wi-Fi routers to enhance learning, and new patterns across lunch preparation, including a return to non-sustainable products like paper bags, plastic sandwich bags, plastic cutlery and single-serve snack to allow their kids to throw things away more easily.

Meredith Corp Data Studio launched earlier this month.