It’s Back-To-School Time: Get the Latest Trends

Back to school shopping use to be a breeze, paper, pens and pencils notebooks and lunch box. Now its trying to decipher what technology is best for kids, latest fashions and school supplies while trying not to break the bank.

According to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics. Total spending for K-12 schools and college combined is projected to reach $82.8 billion, nearly as high as last year’s $83.6 billion.

“With the economy thriving thanks to tax reform and growing consumer confidence, we expect to see a very strong season,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “College spending is expected to be at its highest level ever, and back-to-school will be one of the three highest years on record. Whether shoppers buy now or wait until the last minute, retailers are ready with everything they need for a successful start of the school year.”

According to the survey, back-to-school shoppers plan to spend the most on clothing ($236.90). In addition to apparel, back-to-school shoppers also plan to spend:

• $187.10 on electronics such as computers, calculators or phones
• $138.66 on shoes
• $122.13 on supplies such as notebooks, pencils, backpacks, and lunchboxes

Unlike back-to-schoolers, college shoppers will spend the most on electronics ($229.21). Besides electronics, they also plan to spend:

• $153.32 on clothing and accessories
• $109.29 on dorm or apartment furnishings
• $102.82 on food
• $83.41 on shoes
• $78.70 on personal care items such as skin and hair care
• $69.46 on school supplies such as notebooks and backpacks
• $62.61 on gift cards
• $53.34 on collegiate branded gear

The top destinations for consumers shopping for back-to-school items are:

• Department stores (57 percent)
• Online retailers (55 percent)
• Discount stores (52 percent)
• Clothing stores (51 percent)
• Office supply stores (35 percent)

Similarly, the most popular shopping destinations for back-to-college consumers are:

• Online retailers (49 percent)
• Department stores (40 percent)
• Discount stores (35 percent)
• Office supply stores (31 percent)
• College bookstores (30 percent)

The survey also found that more consumers are starting early. Most back-to-school shoppers (77 percent) plan to start at least three weeks before school begins, up from last year’s 74 percent and 64 percent a decade ago. Moreover, 67 percent of college shoppers will start that early, the same as last year but up from 51 percent in 2008. However, there is still plenty of shopping left to do. Nearly nine out of 10 (89 percent) back-to-school and college shoppers still have half or more of their purchases left to complete. Of these, more than half are still waiting for the best deals for the items on their lists.

“We tend to see the top three categories constantly being electronics, clothing and school supplies,” said Claudia Lombana, Emmy & Peabody-Award Winning Journalist. This year is no different we are going to see an average spend for k thru 12 students of about $684 per student.”

“Something that parents have top of mind when sending students back to school is their health. But something they may not think about is water. From PUR we have the solution the PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration System is certified to reduce 99 percent of lead and over 70 other contaminants, more than any other brand. It is the superior solution for convenient, on demand filtered water, making it a back-to-school essential for your family. Plus, it’s easy to install, with no tools required and starts around 35 dollars.”

“When it comes to lunches, packing lunches is something a lot parents and students have to do and sometimes for themselves and looking for a snack that are healthy is a big trend this year for back to school. From Crispy Green we got Crispy Fruit Snacks. The fruit snacks are freeze dried fruit and what makes it so easy is a clean, one ingredient only and 100% fruit with zero additives. No sugar, no GMO’s, no preservatives. It’s an easy and delicious snack and it comes in two sizes to just toss in your lunch and go.

“Having a safer identity online is so important today with our kids even from young ages using electronics, so from Dashlane we have the Dashlane’s Password Manager it’s a perfect way to save and use your user name, passwords and store them in one convenient location. You can change passwords in one click, up to hundreds of passwords at one time so it is really meant for families to share passwords and keep them in a safe and secure place. It’s free for one device then $4.99 a month for multiple devices.”

“As I mentioned technology is one of the top three categories and Smart phones still hugely popular and this year from Alcatel 3V is the way to go as it’s one of the most advanced and feature-packed smartphones for under $150. It delivers immersive entertainment with a large 6-inch Full HD+ display and it allows you to take pictures like a pro with duel cameras, so you can capture every moment in detail. It also has a unique Alcatel fingerprint censor, advanced facial recognition as well as a large battery to get you through the day! It’s available on most GSM carriers and you can purchase it at Amazon.com or BestBuy.com and select Best Buy stores.

For more great tips visit TipsonTv.com

About Claudia Lombana

Claudia Lombana regularly shares her insight and expertise with national television audiences and is the national shopping specialist for PayPal. Her tips and advice regularly appear in national publications, including The New York Times, USA Today and many others. The two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and Peabody Award winner provides advice on topics ranging from shopping trends to fraud protection. As a journalist, she has traveled the world covering news stories for CNN, CBS, FOX, Tech TV and E! News.

Courtesy: JUST and PUR.

Photo Courtesy: Pexels.com CC-By-SA 1.0 from pixabay.com