Office Depot Leverages Back-to-School Survey Results To Drive Traffic
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
84 Percent Of Students Add A Personalized Touch To Their Supplies
Office Depot is leveraging a new back-to-school shopping trend report to drive traffic to its stores this back-to-school season.
According to a recent survey commissioned by Office Depot, Inc., nearly 70 percent of teens admit their parents have equal or greater influence over which school items they purchase. However, the data reveals, as teens get older, their own voices get stronger.
The survey, using interviews by Kelton Global, reveals how parents and students approach back-to-school shopping, including who in the family has the most influence over purchasing decisions and whether shoppers stay true to a provided classroom list or add personalized items to their school supplies.
“Back-to-school shopping is an equally important experience for parents and students since they often look to secure the right mix of core essentials and supplies that allow the individual to express their personality,” said Ron Lalla, EVP of merchandising for Office Depot. “From the latest tech and designer school supplies to the top brands for kids and teens, including over 1,000 items $5 or less, Office Depot and OfficeMax help shoppers find what they need, in the style they want, at a price they’ll love so students go back to school with the tools to succeed and the confidence to express their personal style.”
The survey also found that parents are influenced by recommended supplies lists from schools and teachers when making back-to-school purchases. According to the June 2014 Office Depot Personal Shopper Index when parents are in charge of the shopping, almost three-quarter stick to the list provided by the school or teacher, whereas the remainder mix it up with input from their child or go beyond the list and purchase items to personalize the back-to-school experience for their teens.
The survey found that teen purchases were influenced by retail stores (61 percent), advertisements or articles (59 percent) and parents (58 percent); but more than a quarter of trend-setter teens (27 percent) have discovered products they would consider purchasing from other students, and almost as many (22 percent) have done the same using social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.
Since almost twice as many teens report that they see themselves as a trend setter (40 percent) rather than a follower (24 percent), it is no surprise that an overwhelming amount of students (84 percent) veer off of their school’s supply list and add to it by selecting trendier options in addition to basic supplies when shopping for back-to-school items and more than half (54 percent) prefer trendy or customizable items to simple items because it allows them to make a bold statement about their personality.
Knowing how teens and their parents approach back-to-school shopping is important knowledge for retailers who are trying to attack those precious dollars.