According to the 2024 U.S. Back-to-School Consumer Sentiment Survey from Sensormatic Solutions, a Johnson Controls company, 74% of consumers plan to conduct their classroom return shopping in-store, which remains the top option chosen year-over-year.
However, the result doesn’t suggest that consumers are running away from omnichannel shopping, as 43% of survey respondents said they would take advantage of buy online, pick up in store for back-to-school purchases versus 34% in 2023. A quarter of respondents said they would use curbside pickup compared to 19% in 2023, Sensormatic reported.
In the 2024 survey, back-to-school shoppers were determined to begin hitting stores early, with 18% saying they intended to start shopping in June, up from 11% in 2023. However, the survey suggests that August will be the hottest month for back-to-school shopping in the United States, as indicated by Sensormatic’s traffic insights research.
Consumers have a number of factors under consideration as they begin shopping for the classroom return, with, for example, 44% of respondents noting that being safe and comfortable in in-store environments is one of the most important factors they consider when choosing a retail location. In the 2024 survey, 75% of respondents stated that price is a crucial factor when shopping in-store. Given recent economic pressures, 34% of respondents said they plan to spend significantly less than in previous back-to-school shopping seasons, Sensormatic noted, with strategies to manage budgets including reuse of supplies from prior years, cited by 51%, and shopping at discount or second-hand stores, cited by 49%.
In addition to using BOPIS to avoid shipping fees, consumers plan to control spending by prioritizing specific items at 21%. Still, 62% of survey respondents said they have made additional in-store purchases unrelated to their original orders when using BOPIS.
When it comes to wider issues, 83% of respondents said sustainability will play a role in their back-to-school purchasing decisions, up from 77% in 2023. Shoppers are prioritizing sustainable practices, favoring reusable shopping bags (45%), choosing products with sustainable packaging (41%), and opting for items made with eco-friendly materials such as recycled paper and biodegradable pens (38%). In addition, 26% of respondents said their back-to-school purchasing would include clothes and supplies from second-hand stores.
