2022 Back to School Retail Trends

Despite record-high inflation rates, back to school shopping is still gearing up to be a strong shopping season this fall. 57% of parents share concerns over the impacts of inflation on school supply prices, but families around the country are working to make ends meet to ensure that their children are properly-equipped for the classroom. 

Spending per household is expected to average around $864 this year, with an increase in in-store purchases and sustainably-conscious products. College students, who are making larger purchases of technology and furniture, are expected on average to spend $1,199 on their back to school shopping trips. With some categories on the rise, and others taking a hit, here’s what retail trends to be watching this back-to-school season. 

Buying in bulk 

When trying to save money, buying in bulk is an easy way that families are opting to save money. For example, this 24 pack of Two Tone Backpacks have seen a 7,216% revenue increase and this 24 pack of Crayola Color Pack Crayons has seen an 833% revenue increase over the past year. Many shoppers, specifically 46%, are also gravitating towards back-to-school multipacks, which come with a basic kit of school supplies for one set cost. During July 2022, sales for these kits were up 336% as many are getting a head start on their school supply purchases. This increase in sales for bulk shopping and pre-packed kits is emphasizing one key point: pricepoint matters this fall. Saving money is the name of the game right now and brands who want to succeed need to be offering packages that match this. 

Certain specific categories’ sales are down 

Lunch boxes, first day of school signs, and pencil cases are all down in sales this year. A lack of sales of pencil cases is likely due to the rise of digital learning– but lunch boxes and first day of school signs may also be the result of spending concerns. Rather than buying new, expensive lunch boxes, people are likely opting to reuse their old ones as well as design their own first day of school signs for their pictures and parties. 

In-store is the way to go

As much as online shopping has increased over the past few years, a survey from Deloitte revealed that 49% of shoppers are planning to shop in-store for their school supplies and there has been a 4% decrease in online school supply shopping. An area to pay attention to is “buy online and pick-up in-store” shopping, which has become popular since the pandemic. 22% of shoppers are planning to shop this way for their back-to-school shopping trips, as it offers the online shopping experience with the benefits of immediate delivery (and no crazy shopping trips with your kids). 

Digital learning 

For students who engage in digital learning, 81% are provided with the necessary technological tools by their schools. Especially post pandemic, digital learning has been on the rise, integrating tools like IPads, computers, and tablets into the classroom. School provided technology is likely contributing to the 8% decrease in technology-related spending this year. During 2021, there was a 37% increase in technology spending, but more students were also at home and stuck in fully virtual learning environments. 

Sustainable swaps 

Deloitte’s back-to-school survey also revealed that 50% of shoppers opt for sustainable swaps for their usual products whenever it is possible. The main factor deterring shoppers from sustainable alternatives is higher prices associated with these products. However, sustainable alternatives don’t need to be more expensive– shoppers can also choose to reuse older items or refurbish them for another year of use. 

As the school year starts rolling, it is also important to know what concerns are at the forefront of your customers’ minds. The universally increasing concern of mental health is also affecting students and how parents feel about them heading back to the classroom. For parents, mental health is worrisome because it also impacts students’ ability to focus and perform well in school, ultimately affecting their quality of education. 

Digital learning is also a concern for many teachers and parents, as schools are struggling to find the balance between face-to-face learning and the distractions that come with technology. Many digital learning platforms do not facilitate student-to-student connection, making it difficult to build comradery in the classroom. However, there are also many recognized benefits to digital learning whether it be for health reasons or the ability to access new tools and platforms to enhance learning. 

Back-to-school season is truly an event for the retail industry, marking a large increase in specific products and many opportunities for promotional advertising. Back-to-school shoppers were already on the rise as of early July, so if you haven’t started thinking about what back-to-school means for your brand, it's safe to say it's time.