It’s Back-To-School Season, But Which School Should Parents Prepare For?

Nevin Barich

August 17, 2020 –

It’s the third week of August and my 6-year-old niece Olivia will soon be starting first grade. Normally, her mother (my sister) would have all of her school supplies ready to go right now: Pens, pencils, notebooks, backpack, etc. There’s just one problem:

My sister still has no idea if Olivia’s school will be in-person, remote or a hybrid of both.

Many parents are in a similar predicament: They still don’t know what type of school environment they need to prepare their children for. As a result, typical school supplies have given way to supplies with a more technological focus.

According to a recent report from Deloitte, back-to-school spending in the U.S. on technology items such as computers, smartphones, tablets and wearables is set to increase 28% year-over-year in 2020, while spending on clothing, accessories and traditional school supplies are seen dropping by 17%. As a result, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), U.S. parents with children in elementary school through high school say they plan to spend a record average of $789.49/family on back-to-school supplies, mainly because of their increased focus on electronics in anticipation of remote learning this fall.

“By any measure, this is an unprecedented year with great uncertainty, including how students will get their education this fall whether they are in kindergarten or college,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Most parents don’t know whether their children will be sitting in a classroom or in front of a computer in the dining room, or a combination of the two. But they do know the value of an education and are navigating uncertainty and unknowns so that students are prepared.”

Parents are in a tough spot right now when it comes to their kids’ school. Even if their school district decides on in-person schooling, differing views on school safety at the federal, state and local level basically force parents to prepare for remote learning at some point. That means technological school supplies, which mean more money.

This fall, parents and their kids truly need to be ready for anything at any time.

Nevin Barich is the Consumer Products Analyst for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service. Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

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