Back-to-school - statistics & facts

What are parents buying?

Some of the most common educational necessities bought by guardians of school children include clothing and accessories, as well as school supplies, such as books, pens, backpacks, and more. This season, however, many were planning to spend the most on electronics: on average, parents in the United States expected to pay just under 300 U.S. dollars for such computer-related equipment. A fair share of BTS shoppers also purchased preconfigured supply kits provided by their children’s school. In addition to the fact that they are sometimes mandatory, several shoppers said they bought such kits because they are cost-effective and convenient.

What about the kids?

Although parents tend to be the ones acquiring school supplies for their children during the back-to-school season, there are pre-teens and teenagers in the United States that spend some of their own money on supplies too. Specifically, pre-teens planned to spend an average of 40 U.S. dollars, while teenagers expected to pay just over 45 U.S. dollars out of pocket for school items. Even if students are not buying the supplies themselves, they typically have a major influence on what their parents or guardians buy for them. For clothing and accessories, for instance, about four in five parents stated that the final purchasing decision was moderately to highly influenced by their children’s wishes.

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