Children may be nervous about it. But email marketers
should be relishing the back-to-school period, for 60% of parents plan to mostly shop online this year, according to School Shopping Trends, a study by Mulberry.
In general, 81% of
parents shopped for back-to-school items last year, and 88% plan to do so this year online or in person. Of those, 68% expect to spend $100 or more.
In addition, 68% think back-to-school
sales offer real savings. But 35% dread shopping with their child because of budget conflicts. And 50% would rather spend their back-to-school budget on something else.
Get your emails ready if you sell products in any of the following categories. Here’s what those who plan to shop expect to buy:
- Clothes —
74%
- School supplies — 66%
- Shoes — 66%
- Bags —
48%
- Accessories — 45%
- Headphones — 24%
- A new laptop — 20%
- A new tablet — 18%
- Sporting goods — 15%
- Computer monitor — 9%
- Musical instruments
— 7%
Even with the pandemic, here’s what parents who shopped bought last year:
- Clothes —
69%
- School supplies — 64%
- Shoes — 60%
- Bags —
45%
- Accessories — 43%
- Headphones — 39%
- A new laptop — 32%
- A new tablet — 25%
- Sporting goods — 16%
Of the shoppers buying a phone, laptop or tablet for their child, 46% say they will buy an
Apple-branded product and 25% a non-Appl- branded product.. And 29% are not sure yet.
Here are the main factors for people buying laptops or tablets:
- Price — 71%
- Functionality — 63%
- Brand — 47%
- Reviews — 35%
- School requires
specific laptop — 14%
- Offer protection plan — 14%
The survey found that electronics shopping dropped as much as 15% compared to
2020.
Here are two other tidbits that may be pertinent:
- 84% say their child has damaged or misplaced electronics or furniture.
- 34% have regretted not purchasing a product protection plan.
Mulberry surveyed over 1,100 consumers in June 2021. Of those, 47% have children in elementary
school, with 33% in middle school, 37% in high school and 17% in college.