Back-to-School 2015 Cheat Sheet

BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2015 CHEAT SHEET

$200

$400

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$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Back-to-School

Back-to-College

BTS & BTC Combined Average Spending: 2005-2015

Average annual back-to-school spending has grown 42 percent over the last 10 years. This year, the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630.

Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics

10 YEARS OF BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING

nrf.com/backtoschool

U.S. ECONOMY IS IMPACTING FEWER SHOPPERS THIS YEARA survey-high 24 percent of back-to-school shoppers say the state of the U.S. economy will not impact their shopping, up from 19 percent last year.


14.9% 14.3%

13.9%

15.2%

19.5%

18.9%

23.6%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Percent of back-to-school buyers who indicate that the economy will not impact their spending decisions


WHERE WILL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPERS SPEND THEIR DOLLARS?Discount stores will see the most back-to-school shoppers (62%), though that’s the lowest market share in the survey’s 13-year history.


-12.7%

9.1%

15.6%

-25.6% -22.5%

Discount Store Clothing Store Online Drug Store Thrift Stores/Resale Shops

Where are back-to-school shoppers spending their dollars? (Percentage change over the last five years)


MOST OF SCHOOL SHOPPERS’ BUDGETS WILL BE SPENT ON APPAREL AND ELECTRONICSBack-to-school shoppers plan to spend an average of $630. Most of that will be spent on apparel and electronics.


$50.00

$100.00

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Back-to-school spending by category: 2005-2015

Clothing and accessories (excluding shoes)

Shoes

School supplies such as notebooks, folders, pencils, backpacks and lunchboxes

Electronics or computer-related equipment such as a home computer, laptop, handheld organizer or calculator


-9.1% -10.1%

22.2%

43.8%

-0.9%

At least two months before school starts

Three weeks to one month before school starts

One-two weeks before school starts

The week school starts After school starts

Percent change in respondents indicating when they will purchase: 2015 vs. 2010

MORE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SHOPPERS ARE PLANNING TO PROCRASTINATE30 percent of back-to-school shoppers will wait until one or two weeks before school starts to begin shopping, up from 25 percent last year. Additionally, 37 percent of back-to-college shoppers will start shopping three weeks to one month before school starts, up from 33 percent last year.



STUDENTS OPEN THEIR WALLETS FOR BACK TO SCHOOLStudents in grades K-12 have lost a little sway this year. Only 6 percent of families say all of their back-to-school shopping decisions are infl uenced by their kids, down from 10 percent last year. But that’s OK; teenagers and pre-teens will spend their own money.


The average amount a teenager plans to spend of their own money on back to school.

The average amount a pre-teen plans to spend of their own money on back to school.


DORM RESIDENCY GROWS, AND SO DOES SPENDING ON FURNISHINGS31 percent of college students will live in a dorm room or college housing this year. The average college family plans to spend $126 on dorm and apartment furnishings.


$109.9

$90.9

$80.1

$96.9 $96.8 $100.3 $104.8 $96.7

$126.3

18.7%

18.0%

15.8%

18.8%

18.1%

25.9%

22.5%

23.9%

31.3%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Students will be living in (and spending on) dorm rooms Average spend on dorm furnishings % of students planning to live in dorms


SHOPPERS CHOOSE, RETAILERS DELIVERMore than 90 percent of online back-to-college and school shoppers will take advantage of free shipping, and almost half will buy online and pick up in store.


Buy online, pick up in store/

Ship to store

Expedited shipping Free shipping Reserve online Same-day delivery

Free shipping and buy online, pick up in store/ship to store are the most popular offerings Back to School Back to College

48.4%

17.3%

92.1%

9.1% 10.2%

46.9%

15.5%

90.2%

6.9% 7.4%


K-12 VS COLLEGETots and teens may require more supplies to start a school year, but it’s the college shoppers that bring in the most business for retailers.


$67

$207

$137

$986

$770

$899

$98

$197

$218

$662

$662

$630

School supplies

Electronics

Apparel

High school vs college freshman

High school vs college senior

Average spend

Average Spends

45%

48%

24%

56%

62%

30%

Shop at department stores

Shop at discount stores

Start shopping 1 – 2 weeks before school starts

K–12 College

$43.1

$24.9

College

K-12 Total spend (in Billions)


Back to School/College $68Mother's Day $21.2Valentine's Day $18.9Easter $16.4Super Bowl $14.3Father's Day $12.7Halloween $7.4St. Patrick's Day $4.6Winter holidays

$616.1

TOTAL SPENDING (in Billions)Second only to the winter holidays, spending on back-to-school and college means big business for retailers large and small.

Source: NRF consumer surveys conducted by Prosper Insights & Analysis.


HISTORICAL TRENDS: A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2014Driven by increased demand for electronics and school supplies, families with children in grades K-12 planned to an average $669 on school items, up 5 percent from 2013.

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Average spend per household

Total spend on back-to-school

(in billions)

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$680

$700

Average spending per

household

Total spending on back-to-school

(in billions)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015


HISTORICAL TRENDS: A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2013After spending record amounts on new school supplies, apparel and electronics in 2012, parents asked their children to reuse everything they could in 2013 to help save a few bucks.

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$680

$700

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Average spend per household

Total spend on back-to-school

(in billions)

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$3


household


(in billions)

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015


HISTORICAL TRENDS: A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2012Spending reached $690 on average in 2012, the highest amount in the survey’s history. Two years of trimmed budgets and high levels of children entering grade school contributed to this growth.

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$680

$700

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015


household


(in billions)

2012


HISTORICAL TRENDS: A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2011A tough economy forced parents to tighten their budgets in 2011. Parents asked their children to reuse what they could for the new school year to help save money.

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$680

$700

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015


household


(in billions)

2011


NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics’ Back-to-School Spending Survey polls more than 6,000 consumers each year and has a margin of error between +/- 1 to 1.3 percentage points.


https://nrf.com/resources/back-school-headquarters

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Back-to-School 2015 Cheat Sheet