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