National Consumer Agency

Market Research Findings:Back to School Costs

July 2012Research Conducted by

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•Main Findings: Back to School costs

•Research Methodology and Sample Profile

Table of Contents

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Main Findings

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Number of Children Attending School in 2012/2013

9 8

83

21

8881

One

Secondary

%%

Primary

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)

TwoThree+

None

Average: 1.6(1.5)

1.5(1.5)

1 in 5 respondents have a chid of primary school age – equivalent figure for secondary school

pupils is 1 in 8.

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Overlap of Primary & Secondary School Children

(Base: All with children in school 2012/2013 N = 251)

Primary Only

Secondary Only

51% 24%25%

Overlap between primary/secondary school children is 25%.

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Average Back to School Spend Per Child

(Base: All with children in school in 2012/2013)

Back to SchoolPrimary (Base: 186)

*************************************

€SCHOOL UNIFORMS (INCL SHOES)

190.60 SCHOOL BOOKS & STATIONERY

154.00GYM GEAR 71.49

SCHOOL ACCESSORIES(lunch boxes/school bags etc.)

70.70---------

TOTAL SPEND ON CHILD 486.79

Back to SchoolSecondary(Base: 120)

*************************************

€SCHOOL UNIFORMS (INCL SHOES)

206.90 SCHOOL BOOKS & STATIONERY

250.50GYM GEAR 85.83

SCHOOL ACCESSORIES(lunch boxes/school bags etc.)

76.59---------

TOTAL SPEND ON CHILD 619.82

Average primary spend per child = €486.79Average secondary spend per child = €619.82

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43

35

19

21

Degree to which Back to School Costs are of Concern

A lot more of a concern

%

N=251

(Base: All with children in school in 2012/2013)

78%A little more of a concern

The same

A little less of a concernA lot less of a concern

A high proportion of parents, 8 in

10(78%), will find back to school costs more of a concern

this year.

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How will Back to School Costs be Met?

Will use regular income

Will put money aside

Apply for back to school allowance

Dip into existing savings

Use credit card/overdraft

Will borrow from friends/family

Take out a personal loan

Borrow from a money lender

Other

Don’t know

59

27

20

15

5

4

2

1

1

1

%

(Base: All with children in school in 2012/2013)

2012/2013

59% of parents will largely try to make their regular income stretch to cover back to school expenses but nearly 3 in 10 will put money aside for this outlay.

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Research Methodologyand Sample Profile

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• The research was conducted face-to-face using a combination of CAPI and P&P interviewing with 1,002 people between the ages of 15-74.

• To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on the basis of age, gender and social class.

• Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in June 2012.

A. Research Background and Methodology

Nov/Dec 2007

Aug 2008Nov/Dec

2008

Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010Nov/December

2010

Benchmark

Wave 4 Wave 5

Wave 1 Wave 2

Wave 6

May/June 2011

Wave 7

May/June 2009

Wave 3

Nov 2011

Wave 8

June 2012

Wave 9

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1728

4822

52

19

2816

1826

49

26

54

B. Profile of Sample

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,002)

Male

Female

% % % %

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Dublin

Rest of Leinster

Munster

Conn/ Ulster

ABC1 F50+

C2DEF50-

Sex Age Region Social Class

Quotas were set on age, gender, region and social class to ensure that the sample was representative of the population.