• by Ray Schultz , July 19, 2021

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.