The analyst Retail Back to School 2024 report forms part of the Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive overview of the major retail occasion of students returning to school after the summer holiday, analysing the market, the major players, the main trends and consumer attitudes.
Scope
- Consumers remain unwilling to splash out on back to school despite feeling better off
- Back to school uniform sales dip as consumers focus to quality over quantity
- Tesco wins out in back to school against challenging backdrop in 2024
Reasons to Buy
- Use our in-depth consumer insight to learn which back to school categories are shopped the most by consumers, to adapt back to school ranges to current trends.
- Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money and delivery options, in order to maximise sales potential.
- Use our average spend data to understand how much consumers are prepared to pay in each back to school category and which categories consumers are most willing to invest in higher priced items.
Table of Contents
- THE KEY FINDINGS
- Chart of the month - Parents with more children lean on finance options to facilitate spending
- The Key Findings
- Consumers remain unwilling to splash out on back to school despite feeling better off
- Back to school uniform sales dip as consumers focus to quality over quantity
- Tesco wins out in back to school against challenging backdrop in 2024
- Trend insight - stores
- Trend insight - online
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- Financial wellbeing
- Back to school spending
- Financial spending
- Research
- Promotions
- Schoolchildren purchased for
- Back to school spending
- Retailer selection
- Retailer ratings - grocers
- Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
- Secondhand back to school purchases
- Purchase intentions
- Purchases made in the last year
- Retailer drivers by category
- UNIFORM
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Research
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Embroidery/alteration services
- Factors of importance
- Buying dynamics
- SPORTSWEAR AND SPORTS EQUIPMENT
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- STATIONERY
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- SCHOOL ACCESSORIES
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- BOOKS
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- METHODOLOGY
- Technical details: consumer survey work
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2024
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2024
- Secondhand back to school products purchased, 2024
- Products intended to purchase, 2023 & 2024
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for uniform, 2023 to 2024
- Products purchased - blazers & jackets, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - blazers & jackets, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - blazers & jackets, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - trousers, dresses and skirts, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - trousers, dresses and skirts, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - trousers, dresses and skirts, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - shirts and blouses, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - shirts and blouses, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - shirts and blouses, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - sweaters, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - sweaters, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - sweaters, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - underwear, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - underwear, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - underwear, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for sportswear 2023 to 2024
- Retailers used - sportswear, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - sportswear, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - sportswear, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - sports footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - sports footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - sports footwear, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - sports equipment, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - sports equipment, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - sports equipment, 2023 & 2024
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for stationery 2023 to 2024
- Products purchased - pens and pencils, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - pens and pencils, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - pens and pencils, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - stationery essentials, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - stationery essentials, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - stationery essentials, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - notebooks, diaries and organisers, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - notebooks, diaries and organisers, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - notebooks, diaries and organisers, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - paper, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - paper, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - paper, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - other stationery, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - other stationery, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - other stationery, 2023 & 2024
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for school accessories 2023 to 2024
- Products purchased - food accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - food accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - food accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - school bag, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - school bag, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - school bag, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - hair accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - hair accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - hair accessories, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - safety accessories, 2023
- Average spend - safety accessories, 2024
- Retailers used - safety accessories, 2024
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for books 2023 to 2024
- Products purchased - books for lessons, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - books for lessons, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - books for lessons, 2023 & 2024
- Products purchased - revision guides, 2023 & 2024
- Average spend - revision guides, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers used - revision guides, 2023 & 2024
- The proportion of back to school shoppers that stated they actively cut back on spending this year compared to last, 2023 & 2024
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2023 & 2024
- How consumers financed back to school spending, 2023 & 2024
- Back to school spending compared to last year, 2023 & 2024
- Back to school financing, 2023 & 2024
- Actively cutting back on back to school spending, 2023 & 2024
- Research undertaken before purchasing back to school, 2024 & change on 2023
- Influence of promotions on back to school shopping habits, 2023 & 2024
- Influence of promotions on when consumers purchase back to school products, 2023 & 2024
- The types of promotions that are appealing and have been used, 2023
- The number of schoolchildren purchased for, 2023 & 2024
- The proportion of back to school spending on each category, 2023 & 2024
- Retailers that did the best job promoting back to school, 2023 & 2024
- Secondhand items purchased, 2024
- Secondhand sportswear or sports equipment items purchased, 2024
- Reasons for purchasing secondhand items, 2024
- Reasons for not purchasing secondhand items, 2024
- Intention to purchase any more products for back to school throughout this academic year (2024/25), 2022, 2023, 2024
- School items purchased throughout the year, during the last academic year, 2021-2022, 2022-2023 & 2023-2024
- What's driving retailer selection, 2024
- Back to school 2024 uniform penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 uniform penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for uniform, 2023 & 2024
- What's driving retailer selection (uniform), 2024 & change on 2023
- Research undertaken before purchasing back to school (uniform), 2024 & change on 2023
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing uniform (browsed & purchased), 2024 & change on 2023
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing uniform (browsed & purchased), 2024 & change on 2023
- Consumers using each device for purchasing uniform (browsed & purchased), 2024 & change on 2023
- Fulfilment options for uniform purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Requirement and use of alteration services, 2023 & 2024
- Reasons why embroidery services were not used, 2023 & 2024
- Awareness of uniform embroidery/alteration services, 2024 & change on 2023
- Factors of importance (uniform), 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 trousers dresses and skirts penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 trousers dresses and skirts penetration
- Trousers fit, length & style purchased, 2024
- Skirt length & style purchased, 2024
- Back to school 2024 shirts & blouses penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 shirts & blouses penetration
- Shirts fit purchased, 2024
- Blouses fit purchased, 2024
- Back to school 2024 underwear penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 underwear penetration
- Back to school 2024 blazers & jackets penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 blazers & jackets penetration
- Back to school 2024 sweaters penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 sweaters penetration
- Back to school 2024 footwear penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 footwear penetration
- Shoe fit purchased, 2024
- Back to school 2024 accessories penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 accessories penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (overall uniform), 2023 & 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases (uniform categories), 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 sportswear & sports equipment penetration (and by age of child bought for) and 2023 & 2022 penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for sportswear and sports equipment 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing sportswear and equipment (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing sportswear and equipment (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each device for purchasing sportswear & equipment (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Fulfilment options for sportswear and sports equipment purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 sportswear penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 sportswear penetration
- Back to school 2024 sports footwear penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 sports footwear penetration
- Back to school 2024 sports equipment penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 sports equipment penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (sportswear and sports equipment), 2023 & 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases (sportswear and sports equipment categories), 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 stationery penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 stationery penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for stationery 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing stationery (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing stationery (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each device for purchasing stationery (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Fulfilment options for stationery purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 pens and pencils penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 pens and pencils penetration
- Back to school 2024 stationery essentials penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 stationery essentials penetration
- Back to school 2024 notebooks, diaries and organisers penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 notebooks, diaries and organisers penetration
- Back to school 2024 paper penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 paper penetration
- Back to school 2024 other stationery penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 other stationery
- Planned/impulse purchases (stationery), 2023 & 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases (stationery categories), 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 school accessories penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 school accessories penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for school accessories 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing school accessories (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing school accessories (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each device for purchasing school accessories (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Fulfilment options for school accessories purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 food accessories penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 food accessories penetration
- Back to school 2024 school bag penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 school bag penetration
- Back to school 2024 hair accessories penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 hair accessories penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (school accessories), 2023 & 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases (school accessories categories), 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 books (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 books penetration
- Top 10 retailers shopped at for books 2023 & 2024
- Consumers using each channel for purchasing books (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each store type for purchasing books (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Consumers using each device for purchasing books (browsed & purchased), 2024
- Fulfilment options for books purchases made online, 2023 & 2024
- Back to school 2024 books for lessons penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 books for lessons penetration
- Back to school 2024 revision guides penetration (and by age of child bought for), 2023 & 2022 revision guides penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases (books), 2023 & 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases (books categories), 2023 & 2024
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Adidas
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Argos
- ASDA
- B&M
- Claire's Accessories
- Clark's
- Co-op
- Deichmann
- Directschoolwear.co.uk
- Foyles
- H&M
- Hobbycraft
- Home Bargains
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Morrisons
- Next
- Nike
- Poundland
- Primark
- Ryman
- Sainsbury's
- School Uniform Direct
- SchoolUniformShop.co.uk
- SHEIN
- Smiggle
- Sports Direct
- Tesco
- The Book Depository
- The Works
- Waitrose & Partners
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Zara
