Online Retailers Account for 37% of Back-to-School Supply Sales.

As classrooms increasingly adopt technology, traditional back-to-school supplies have experienced a decline in volume year-over-year, according to new research from Numerator. In contrast to these category declines, online retailers have boosted their share of back-to-school supply sales by 15 points over the last four years, with Amazon leading the way. For the 2023/24 school year, 90% of students reported using computers or tablets in the classroom, while 80% utilized technology at home for educational purposes.

The analysis is based on verified school supply purchase data and a survey of 2,000 parents and guardians of school-aged children to gauge technology usage for educational purposes.

Key findings from the study include:

• Digital acceleration in classrooms is evident, even among younger children. While students in K-2nd grades were the least likely to use computers or tablets at home for schoolwork (60%, compared to 90% for older grades), their in-classroom technology use is also notable (83%, versus 90% for grades 3-5, 92% for grades 6-8, and 9-12).
• Computers are more prevalent than tablets for schoolwork. Last year, 69% of K-12 students used computers for school assignments, while 47% utilized tablets. Notably, computers were favored across all grade levels except for K-2, where tablets slightly outpaced computers (54% vs. 51%).
• Technology is replacing many traditional school supplies. Students reported using computers or tablets for completing homework (53%), engaging in in-class activities (50%), and reading e-books or digital textbooks (31%). Additionally, 29% of high school students used their devices to take notes during class.
• Despite the technological shift, nearly three-quarters of households still plan to purchase traditional school supplies. After apparel and shoes (73.7%), the most common back-to-school items are pens and pencils (72.9%), paper/notebooks (71.3%), folders/binders (66.2%), backpacks or lunch boxes (58.2%), and crayons/markers/colored pencils (56.3%).
• Two-thirds of households will reuse supplies from previous years. Only 34% of households plan to buy all new school supplies this year, while 39% will purchase mostly new and some reused items, and 19.6% will have a balance of half new and half reused. Additionally, 56.6% of parents and guardians indicated they would spend less than $100 on school supplies.
• While households continue to buy traditional school supplies, they are purchasing fewer items and spending more. Data shows that sales of traditional back-to-school staples, such as paper and related products, have declined in volume year-over-year, yet the overall number of households purchasing these items remains stable. In contrast, total dollar sales and household spending are on the rise, reflecting inflation and families investing in higher-priced items like backpacks.
• Online retailers now account for over one-third of school supply spending, with Amazon climbing the ranks. The online share of traditional school supply sales has surged from 22.7% in 2019 to 37% in 2023, with Walmart, Amazon, and Target dominating the back-to-school market. In 2023, Amazon surpassed Target to become the second-largest back-to-school retailer.
• Sales events influence retailer choice for back-to-school items. More than half (52%) of parents and guardians say finding the best price for back-to-school supplies is their top priority, while 69% shop during sales to save money. This was particularly evident during last month’s Prime Day, which saw significant year-over-year growth in office supplies among participating shoppers.
• Over 80% of students have a say in selecting their school supplies. 83% of parents and guardians with children entering K-12 this school year reported that their children were somewhat or very involved in picking out back-to-school items.

Methodology:

The purchase data comes from the total commerce panel, examining sales from July through August among households with children. Numerator’s 2024 Traditional Back-to-School Survey was conducted from July 29 to August 1, 2024, involving 1,000 parents and guardians of children entering K-12 this school year. The 2024 School Electronics survey was conducted from August 2 to August 5, 2024, surveying 2,000 guardians of children in K-12 for the 2023/24 school year.