TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2024 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) released its latest consumer study on back-to-school shopping expectations this year. One of the findings, nearly three out of four consumers prefer to purchase school items in-store rather than online, reversing the trend observed during the pandemic, when only 40% of purchases were made in-store.

Back-to-school spending is expected to remain stable in 2024, with 85.7% of respondents believing they will spend as much as last year - or more - on school supplies. The majority of consumers plan to spend more than $50 with the top spending items being school supplies (64%) and clothing (57%), followed by books (25%) and electronics (20%).

Purchasing school supplies is becoming more planned. Nearly 40% of respondents plan to make their purchases two to four weeks before the start of the school year, an increase of around 10% from last year. The proportion of respondents who will shop a week before the start of the new school year has shrunk to just 5% this year: in 2023, it was over 15%. Flyers and in-store displays are the main sources of inspiration that shoppers will look to for their back-to school purchases.

To view the full survey, conducted by Caddle, please click on the link below.

Back to School 2024 Shopping in Canada Survey - Retail Council of Canada

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. This sector is a major economic contributor, generating more than $91 billion annually in wages and employee benefits. In 2023, core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) exceeded $501 billion. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members account for more than two-thirds of these core retail sales and 95 per cent of the grocery market. Our membership extends across the country, embracing over 54,000 storefronts in diverse formats such as department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants, and quick service restaurants. As the Voice of Retail^™ in Canada, RCC, a not-for-profit, industry-funded association, proudly represents retail businesses of all sizes, from small independents to large national chains, in communities nationwide.

For more information, contact: Michelle Wasylyshen at mwasylyshen@retailcouncil.org

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada