Despite heat waves gripping most of the country, for many of us, it feels as though summer just began. But the reality is that school bells will be sounding sooner than you think and the best strategy is to always be prepared.
And 2019 is set to experience record-breaking spending with families of elementary-age children planning to spend an average of $696.70—up nearly $12 from last year’s number. In fact, this tops the previous record of $688.62 set back in 2012.
The National Retail Federation predicts that combined spending for back-to-school and college spending will hit a staggering $80.7B. This down from last year’s spend of $82.8B but can be partly attributed to a
decrease in households that have children in classes ranging from kindergarten through twelfth
grade. The average spend per-household for college students was a whopping $976.78—again,
the highest number ever recorded by the NRF.
So, what is all this money being spent on and who plans to buy what this year?
Just about everything from pencils and paper to college-branded sweatshirts and mini fridges. Specifically, for school-aged children, the vast majority of respondents (94%) said they will be purchasing school supplies
followed closely by clothing/accessories (92% with an average spend of $239.82) and shoes (90%). Electronics (think: calculators, tablets and phones) trailed for the school-aged with 54% of respondents shopping here but totaling $203.44 of spend.
Continue reading to find out how you can make the grade with your back-to-school affiliate planning strategies!