Back-to-school amid COVID-19

How will it change this year?

President Trump may be adamant about schools reopening as per schedule, but not all parents seem so convinced. This report delves into how the back-to-school shopping trend will change this year, especially given the financial impact and insecurity facing several American households. Both online and offline retailers can leverage this data in their decision making.

Back-to-school shopping is back, despite the ongoing debate on whether children should be back in school amid the raging pandemic. With so much fear and uncertainty overshadowing the new academic year, how eager are parents about back-to-school shopping, and how will their budgets vary this year? Piplsay polled 18,044 parents nationwide to get these insights. Here’s a summary of what we found:

Other Insights

• An equal 35% of men and women are unsure if their children should return to school so soon
• 40% of millennial parents have planned a bigger budget this year as compared to 31% of Gen Zer and 28% of Gen Xer parents
• An equal 29% of white and black American parents plan to spend over $400 on back-to-school shopping this year
• 21% of Gen Xers and 18% of millennial parents plan to mostly do their back-to-school shopping at physical stores

Survey Methodology: This Piplsay survey (powered by Market Cube) was conducted nationwide in the US from July 30-31, 2020. We received 18,044 online responses from individuals aged 18 years and older.