Shoppers aren’t done shopping for back-to-school. In fact, they still need to make more than half of their back-to-school purchases.
The National Retail Federation reports that shoppers with children in kindergarten through 12th grade have only made about 40 percent of their back-to-school purchases. Those with college-age students have made about 45.3 percent of their buys and are expected to spend $83.8 billion. That means there could still be a lot of selling left for online sellers to do.
“It’s evident that there are plenty of last-minute shoppers this year, and, for retailers, these next two weeks are of utmost importance when it comes to attracting families who still have apparel, electronics and school supplies to stock up on,” says Matthew Shay, president and CEO of NRF. “Given how much of an impact the economy is having on consumers’ buying decisions, retailers will remain competitive up through the final sale after Labor Day, rolling out Web, in-store and even mobile promotions to entice children and their parents.”
An estimated 34.6 percent of college shoppers are expected to do the last of their back-to-school shopping online, the organization reports.
