• by Ray Schultz , July 28, 2022

Parents are in a spending mode as their children prepare to go back to school.  

Of all adults in the U.S., 48% will buy items for the 2022 school season, spending an average of $911, according to the Back-to-School Survey, a study by ICSC. And 81% of adults surveyed will spend more than last year. 

But that’s not necessarily good news — 43% of shoppers attribute the increase to inflation. And 90% say inflation/rising prices will affect their purchases, with a similar percentage basing their buying decisions on promotions. 

The big products will be: Apparel/footwear (88% will buy) and school supplies (86%). Of the latter, the highest spend -- $334 — is going toward electronics. 

Email marketers in this space should know that 64% plan to start their shopping early to avoid price hikes or out-of-stock items. Still most back-to-school buying is expected to occur in August.  

It’s still all about kids: 70% of parents say their children have major influence over back-to-school purchases, and they allow them to mostly choose the styles they want. 

ICSC, a member organization, surveyed 1,008 consumers from July 13-July 15, 2022.