The analyst Retail UK Off to University 2024 report forms part of the Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive overview of the retail occasion of students starting and returning back to university, analysing the market, the major players, the main trends and consumer attitudes.
Scope
- Consumers are less inclined to trade down to own-brand items to save money on university purchases.
- Impulse purchases declined overall in 2024 as consumers made more considered purchases.
- Consumers opting to use third-party pickup for fulfilment of university items has risen above 2023 levels.
Reasons to Buy
- Use our in-depth consumer insight to learn which off to university categories are shopped the most by consumers and ensure that product offerings are catering to the needs and wants of customers.
- 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 in-depth analysis to understand which retailers are leading in certain off to university categories.
Table of Contents
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- People purchased for
- Promotions and offers
- Buying dynamics
- Off to university statements
- OFF TO UNIVERSITY
- Category summary
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- Purchase timing
- METHODOLOGY
- Proportion of spend by category (%), 2024 and 2023
- Bedroom products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on bedroom items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for bedroom items, 2024 and 2023
- Kitchen products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on kitchen items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for kitchen items, 2024 and 2023
- Clothing & footwear products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on clothing & footwear items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for clothing & footwear items, 2024 and 2023
- Utility products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on utility items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for utility items, 2024 and 2023
- Bathroom products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on bathroom items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for bathroom items, 2024 and 2023
- Health & beauty products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on health & beauty items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for health & beauty items, 2024 and 2023
- Stationery products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on stationery items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for stationery items, 2024 and 2023
- Electricals products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on electricals items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for electricals items, 2024 and 2023
- Accessories products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on accessories items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for accessories items, 2024 and 2023
- Books purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on books, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for books, 2024 and 2023
- Entertainment products purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on entertainment items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for entertainment items, 2024 and 2023
- Miscellaneous items purchased, 2024 and 2023
- Average spend on miscellaneous items, 2024 and 2023
- Retailers used for miscellaneous items, 2024 and 2023
- Products bought on impulse (%), 2024 and 2023
- Reasons for purchasing after arriving at university, 2024
- Who people are buying off to university items for, 2024 and 2023
- Appealing and purchased promotions, 2024
- Off to university spending for different categories, 2024 and 2023
- Off to university statements, 2024
- Penetration for off to university categories, 2024 and 2023
- Drivers of retailer selection, 2024
- Channel usage for purchasing off to university products, 2024 and 2023
- Store type for browsing and purchasing off to university products, 2024 and 2023
- Device usage for purchasing off to university products, 2024 and 2023
- Fulfilment options for off to university purchases made online, 2024 and 2023
- Bedroom penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Kitchen penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Clothing & footwear penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Utility penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Bathroom penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Health & beauty penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Stationery penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Electricals penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Accessories penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Books penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Entertainment penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Miscellaneous items penetration overall for 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases, 2024
- Planned/impulse purchases - miscellaneous items , 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - entertainment, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - accessories, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - health & beauty, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - stationery, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - electricals, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - utility, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - clothing & footwear, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - books, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - kitchen, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - bathroom, 2024 and 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases - bedroom, 2024 and 2023
- Purchased before/after arriving at university, 2024
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Apple
- Argos
- ASDA
- ASOS
- B&M
- Boots
- Currys
- Dunelm
- GAME
- H&M
- Hobbycraft
- Holland & Barrett
- Home Bargains
- IKEA
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Marks & Spencer
- Morrisons
- New Look
- Poundland
- Poundstretcher
- Primark
- Ryman
- Sainsbury's
- Shein
- Superdrug
- Temu
- Tesco
- The Body Shop
- The Range
- The Works
- TK Maxx
- Very
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Zara
