Spending on back-to-school season in the U.S. will surge, with “retro” and “personalization” becoming key words

Due to long-term online learning, parents and students are looking forward to returning to the classroom, and the United States may usher in the largest back-to-school shopping season in recent years.

Back-to-school spending for K-12 students this season is expected to reach $32.5 billion, or $612 per student, according to a new Deloitte survey.

While parents pay the majority of the money when it comes to back-to-school shopping, kids’ opinions matter, too. In an online survey of 1,000 U.S. parents and their kids conducted by OnePoll for online retailer Zulily, 99% of parents said it was important for their kids to be involved in back-to-school shopping.

According to the OnePoll survey, "retro" and "personalized" products are more popular among children. 70% of respondents said they would customize clothing according to their personal style, and 64% of respondents aged 9 to 18 said they like retro fashion and use it as inspiration for school clothing.

However, for Generation Z children, the era referred to by "retro" is not far away most of the time. 47% of children said that the 2010s was the best decade in terms of style, followed by the 2000s and 1990s, which tied for second place.

Shoes ranked second on the list of most important items kids consider for back-to-school, just behind school supplies and above backpacks and clothing. Some footwear brands already offer children’s styles with customizable features: Crocs, for example, has seen huge success with its Crocs, while Converse has partnered with celebrities like Millie Bobby Brown and Issa Rae to launch customizable Converse By You styles.

As for the source of inspiration for children's clothing, 70% said they look for it through social media, while 61% look for it through friends and 51% turn to TV shows. Therefore, for sellers, paying more attention to social media, especially topics that teenagers are concerned about, may help them understand children's preferences more clearly.

In addition to consumer trends, the timing of this year's back-to-school season is also worth paying attention to. The NPD Group recently pointed out that the back-to-school shopping season may be extended due to the timing of Labor Day. Many school districts will not open until after the "mini-long holiday" that ends on September 6, while other school districts will open as early as August 2.

On the other hand, this year's supply chain disruptions have prompted many parents to complete their shopping early. Half of all shoppers surveyed by Deloitte are worried about out-of-stock situations, and Deloitte predicts that 59% of back-to-school spending will occur by the end of July, compared to 40% in 2020. Therefore, the "peak" of the back-to-school season this year may also come early.

Back to school season

Generation Z

USA