A survey conducted from July 10-12, 2020 of 540 parents of children ages 5-23, combined with results from a survey conducted August 1-3, 2019 with a sample of 587 parents, by Morning Consult, a global data intelligence company, found some interesting trends run retailers can look forward to this Back-to-School season.
• Parents are deeply anxious about their children’s education: 86 percent are at least somewhat concerned in light of the pandemic. That’s a higher share than are concerned about their family’s health, economic or mental wellbeing.
• Parents feel somewhat more stressed about shopping this year: 43 percent mainly feel stressed and 32 percent feel excited. In 2019, 38 percent said they felt stressed and 40 percent felt excited.
• Despite educational uncertainties and economic turbulence, parents’ back-to-school shopping plans are largely similar to last year. There are certain shifts that retailers should be aware of, such as more projected spending on electronics and less on clothes, but the shifts may be less deep than expected given the significantly altered conditions.
• More plan to shop online: 44 percent of parents say they will do more of their shopping online due to COVID-19, while 26 percent say they will do more shopping at brick-and-mortars.