Other than school supplies, apparel tops the list of what consumers plan to purchase for back-to-school this year. More consumers plan to purchase clothing this year, compared to last year (71 percent for 2006 and 66 percent for 2005). Planned purchases of footwear are also on the rise (60 percent this year versus 53 percent last year).
Other popular planned purchases this year were more in line with plans last year, including cosmetics and other beauty supplies (flat versus last year, at 13 percent), notebooks and other school supplies (79 percent versus 81 percent) and school bags and knapsacks (45 percent versus 41 percent). Combined electronics (computers, printers, cell phones, MP3 players and DVD players/recorders) shows the greatest signs of increased spending with 36 percent planning to purchase in this category, compared to 25 percent last year.
In 2005, 43 percent of back-to-school shoppers had already begun shopping by August 1 and 51 percent shopped between August 1 and September 1. By comparison, just 40 percent of consumers plan to shop that early in 2006, while 56 percent anticipate shopping between August 1 and September 1 – an increase of five percent, year over year.
And while they'll be shopping later, they generally plan to spend on the same levels they did in previous years. In 2006, 21 percent of consumers plan to spend less than they did in 2005, compared to 26 percent who responded similarly last year.
Thirty-four percent plan to spend more this year (versus 33 percent in 2005) and 43 percent say they'll spend about the same amount (versus 41 percent in last year's survey).
marketing@alchempro.com
