Online retailers capture 37% of back-to-school supply sales

Digital acceleration in the classroom is evident, even among younger children. While children in K-2nd grades were the least likely to use computers or tablets at home for school work (60%, vs. 90% for older grades), their in-classroom use of technology is not far behind (83%, vs. 90% for 3rd-5th grades, 92% for 6-8th and 9-12th)

Computers were more widely used than tablets for schoolwork. 69% of students in K-12 last year did schoolwork on a computer and 47% used a tablet. Computers were used more widely than tablets across all grade levels except for K-2, where tablets outpaced computers 54% to 51% 

Technology is replacing many traditional school supplies. Students reported using computers or tablets to complete homework (53%), do in-class activities (50%), and read e-books or digital textbooks (31%). Additionally, 29% of high school students used their tech to take notes during class 

Nearly three-quarters of households are still planning to purchase traditional school supplies. After apparel and shoes (73.7% plan to buy), the top 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 said they will purchase all new school supplies this year, while 39% will have mostly new and some reused supplies, and 19.6% will have half new and half reused. 56.6% of parents / guardians said they will spend less than $100 on school supplies

Households are still purchasing traditional school supplies, but they are purchasing fewer items and paying more. Purchasing data shows traditional back-to-school staples (such as paper and paper-adjacent categories) have seen declining volume year-over-year, while the overall number of households purchasing these products has remained relatively stable. In addition, overall dollar sales and household spending continue to rise, a reflection of both inflation and families investing in higher-priced items like backpacks

Over one-third of school supply spend goes to online retailers, with Amazon moving up in the rankings. Online retailer share of traditional school supply sales has grown from 22.7% in 2019 to 37% in 2023 with Walmart, Amazon, and Target dominating the back-to-school market. In 2023, Amazon overtook Target for the second spot among the top back-to-school retailers

Sale events also play into retailer choice for back-to-school. Over half (52%) of parents / guardians say getting back-to-school items for the best price possible is their top priority, and 69% say they shop during sale events to save money. This was evident during last month’s Prime Day sale, where office supplies saw some of the biggest year-over-year growth among shoppers participating in the sale

Over 8 in 10 students have a say in their school supplies. 83% of parents / guardians with children entering K-12 this upcoming school year said their children were somewhat or very involved in picking out their back-to-school items.