For the second year in a row, the primary stressors this back-to-school (BTS) season concern the price of products, according to RetailMeNot’s annual survey. School supplies, clothing, shoes, and bags rank as the top purchase priorities.

RetailMeNot conducted its annual survey with 1,202 U.S. adults in May and found that 41 percent of respondents cited the cost of BTS supplies as a source of stress, down from 46 percent in 2023.

Other top stressors included:

  • staying on budget, cited by 40 percent of surveyed respondents;
  • finding the best deals/discounts on items, 39 percent;
  • school supply price increases, 39 percent;
  • making the most out of my budget, 36 percent;
  • finding supplies that my kids will be happy with, 33 percent;
  • items being out of stock, 32 percent;
  • dealing with crowds in stores, 29 percent;
  • finding time to shop, 26 percent;
  • shopping together with my kid(s), 25 percent;
  • creating a shopping list, 25 percent; and
  • shipping delays, 22 percent.

RetailMeNot’s 2024 survey found that parents sending their kids back to grade school plan to spend, on average, $506, and those sending their kids to college plan to spend, on average, $821. No year-ago comparisons were available.

School supplies led the list of BTS items surveyed respondents plan to purchase, cited by 62 percent surveyed, followed by:

  • clothing and shoes, 61 percent;
  • backpacks and bags, 50 percent;
  • health and hygiene products, 42 percent;
  • lunch and food storage, 41 percent;
  • organization and study aids, 39 percent;
  • electronics and technology, 35 percent;
  • sports and physical education gear, 31 percent;
  • beauty and personal care products, 30 percent; and
  • dorm room and college essentials, 25 percent.

Other findings from RetailMeNot’s 2024 BTS survey include:

  • Priorities are led by purchasing items based on quality and/or durability, 23 percent, followed by making sure kids are happy with items purchased, 20 percent; efficiently managing budget, 18 percent; buying items that give kids a performance boost, 12 percent; spending as little as possible, 12 percent; buying sustainable products, 9 percent; and buying organizational products, 6 percent.
  • Among respondents (parents) buying BTS supplies for grade school kids, 37 percent planned to start shopping in July, 25 percent in August and 5 percent in September. Among those buying for college-age kids, 35 percent planned to start shopping in July, 28 percent in August and 6 percent in September.
  • Of the surveyed respondents, 76 percent said they would include their grade school-age kid(s) in their BTS shopping, and 59 percent planned to involve their college-age kids in the activity.

Image courtesy Walmart