Parents ditch old-skool stores, as back-to-school spending moves online

Record amount spent online by parents

Parents spent a record amount online, but left back-to-school shopping right up till the school bell this year, say e-commerce delivery experts ParcelHero.

While some top-of-the-class parents had their kids newly suited and booted for the new school year in the first week of the summer vacation, the online delivery experts ParcelHero reveals many others left it right up to the school bell before buying uniforms and equipment.

This year British parents spent well over £1.48bn kitting up their kids for school – that’s £174 a child.  Says ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT: ‘Our analysis is that only 13 per cent of parents had bought all their children’s uniforms, shoes, sports kit and equipment in early August, and 23 per cent nearly missed their homework deadline, and hadn’t bought anything at all until nearly the end of the month!’

One fifth of back-to school spending took place online this year; with childrens’ clothes and footwear sales topping retail charts for August.

Says David: ‘KPMG believes August’s retail figures are up 1.3 YoY thanks to increased back to school spending. And our analysis is that over 20 per cent of the back-to-school spend was online’.

Getting your kids back to school is not cheap:

And once they are back at school, the biggest regular outgoings for Britain’s 8.5 million school kids are school trips (£10) followed by packed lunches, extra-curricular activities and school meals: all at £8.

Says David: ‘In the USA parents this year shelled out a record $531 to equip their kids for school – 10 per cent more than last year – so in comparison UK parents have it a little easier.

But that isn’t much comfort for hard-pressed parents spending more than ever on getting their children ready for the new term. Some early surveys even showed a slight fall in UK back-to-school spending this year; particularly on technology such as laptops and calculators. However, our research shows thrifty parents have earned themselves an A* by waiting for end of holiday sales or buying items at discount prices online.’

Find out more about how Britain’s consumers are abandoning the High Street and moving online here.