More Related Content Similar to 2018 Back-To-College Survey Findings (20) More from Deloitte United States (20) 2018 Back-To-College Survey Findings2. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 2
Key findings
Deloitte’s 2018 back-to-college survey
• Parent’s back-to-college spending is expected to reach $25.5B, or $1,330 per household, essentially flat to 2017
• $5.6B is up for grabs. Shoppers remain undecided on where to spend 22 percent of their budget: online or in-store
• Despite ongoing hype about eCommerce, parents plan to increase their in-store spend in 2018 to 54% (up from
49% in 2017). In-store will be “stealing share” from online and undecided spend
• Planned use of digital platforms for B2C are down or flat to last year, with highest planned usage to lookup prices
and discounts; B2C shoppers may be signaling a desire for innovation in digital usage for their shopping experience
• Survey results show overall parent B2C spend is flat, however, some categories may experience sizable growth
including Dorm/apartment furniture (+17 percent) and Electronic Gadgets (+14 percent)
Despite ongoing digital hype, in-store sales are expected to lead the way
• Over 80 percent of parents expect to collaborate with their students on budgeting and shopping for B2C
• Income matters when it comes to B2C funding: lower income households expect higher student funding whereas
higher income households see almost 2x the number of students using the family credit card
• 80 percent of parents plan to spend more than half of the total B2C spend, and only 7 percent of parents expect
their students to contribute more than 75 percent of the spend
While parents tend to pay, students heavily influence spending
• Mass merchants and on-campus book stores are most preferred formats, followed by a number of price-based
retailers formats
• Low-income households have a preference for price-based formats (e.g., dollar stores) while higher income groups
prefer premium formats (e.g., department stores)
• Shoppers from high-income households plan to spend the most across all categories
Customer's format preference vary notably by household income and product category
4. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 4
Spend by parents during back-to-college (B2C) shopping season
expected to reach $25.5 billion in 2018
B2C shopping season touches…
19 Million college students*
$25.5 Billion in parent spend^
$1,330 Avg. spend by parents#
7k+ Educational institutions**
* Number of students enrolled in Under-graduate and Graduate courses as of October 2016 [Source: US Current Population Survey 2017]
** Post-secondary Title IV educational institutions [Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2016]
# Planned average spend by parents on college related items during back-to-college season [Source: Deloitte survey]
^ Deloitte calculations on back-to-college market spend ($25.5 billion) [Source: Deloitte survey and US Current Population Survey 2017]
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
5. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 5
Back-to-college planned shopping is lead by the college supplies
category, which makes up ~1/3 of budgeted parent spend
B2C 2018 ― Estimated market spend by category
Source: Deloitte calculations on back-to-college market spend ($25.5 billion) [Source: Deloitte survey and US Current Population Survey 2017]
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
*Electronic gadgets include cell phones/smart phones, tablet/e-reader, and wearable devices
College supplies
$8.2B
Clothing & accessories
$4.2B
$25.5B
est. market size
Computers
& hardware
$4.4B
Dorm/apartment
furniture & supplies
$3.5B
Household
appliances & supplies
$3.0B
Electronic gadgets
& digital subscriptions*
$2.2B
6. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 6
Average 2018 B2C spend by parents likely to remain flat at
$1,330 compared to $1,347 in 2017
National Avg. B2C spend by parents:
$1,330 Northeast
West
South
Midwest
20% $1,310
% of total B2C spend by parents Avg. B2C spend by parents
22% $1,260
36% $1,307
21% $1,483
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Average spend based on shoppers from each region – South (n = 378), Northeast (n = 194), Midwest (n = 242), and West (n = 211).
7. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 7
Income level provides a notable influence on funding for B2C
shopping, shopping influencers, and economic outlook
Low-income
(Less than $50k)
Middle-income
($50k-$99k)
High-income
($100k+)
B2C purchase influence
Shopping – Funded by family
Students to use parent’s/family’s household credit card
19% 30% 42%
Shopping – Funded by student
Student will fund their own purchase 39% 37% 30%
Student influence
More than half of B2C spend is influenced by students
60% 68% 73%
Economic focus
Deal focused
Plan to shop at different points throughout the summer to
take advantage of deals
75% 72% 63%
Economic optimism
More confident about the US economy’s prospects now
(June 2018), than they were at the end of 2017
27% 43% 50%
Household financial stability
Household's financial situation today is better than it was
a year ago
16% 25% 33%
Digital usage
Laptop computer
Use or plan to use laptop computer for B2C shopping
47% 52% 55%
Smartphone
Use or plan to use smartphone for B2C shopping 53% 42% 38%
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size - Low-income (n = 397), Middle-income (n = 315), High-income (n = 313)
9. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 9
While planned B2C spend ranks college supplies as highest in
demand, parents plan to spend more on computers & hardware
Average spend planned by parents (2018): $1,330
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
Avg. spend is calculated only for the respondents who plan to purchase at least one item from the above mentioned category
By category
34% plan to buy
Computers &
hardware
Avg. spend $674
32% plan to buy
Electronic gadgets &
digital subscriptions
Avg. spend $357
89% plan to buy
College supplies
Avg. spend $479
78% plan to buy
Clothing & accessories
Avg. spend $279
68% plan to buy
Household appliances
& supplies
Avg. spend $226
50% plan to buy
Dorm/apartment
furniture & supplies
Avg. spend $366
32% Share of B2C spend 16% Share of B2C spend 12% Share of B2C spend
14% Share of B2C spend 17% Share of B2C spend 9% Share of B2C spend
10. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 10
Electronics gadgets, household appliances, and dorm/apartment
furniture are likely to see significant increases in avg. B2C spend
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025; Avg. spend is calculated only for the respondents who plan to purchase at least one item from the above mentioned category
* Spending share of ‘Other’ category not shown.
Average spend
2018
$279
$479
$674
$357
$226
$366
Avg. spend planned by category*
Category
Clothing &
accessories
College supplies
Computers &
hardware
Electronic gadgets &
digital subscriptions
Household appliances
& supplies
Dorm/apartment
furniture & supplies
Average spend
$291
$505
$648
$314
$205
$312
2017
Change (%)
YoY
-4%
-5%
+4%
+14%
+10%
+17%
11. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 11
College supplies
Clothes/shoes
Personal care, beauty, bathing items
Dorm accessories and supplies
Backpack or book bag
Kitchen and dining supplies
College-branded gear or supplies
Dorm furniture
Digital subscriptions
Voice and data phone plans
Television
Luggage
Jewelry/handbag/personal accessories
Computer
Printer or other computer hardware
Cell phone/smart phone
Computer software/small accessories
Tablet, e-reader
Wearable device
Game console
College supplies, clothes/shoes and personal care products are
likely the highest categories in demand
2%
4%
5%
15%
12%
18%
28%
7%
7%
10%
12%
13%
16%
28%
30%
41%
45%
63%
78%
82%
48%
of parents plan
to spend on
tech products
2%
3%
6%
11%
13%
14%
25%
6%
6%
11%
11%
11%
17%
27%
28%
42%
48%
59%
78%
83%
2017 2018B2C items
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N)= 1,025; #multi-select question
41%
of parents plan
to spend on
tech products
Surprisingly, the percent of parents planning to purchase tech products decreased from 48%
to 41%, driven mostly by lower planned peripheral HW/SW/accessories purchases
Tech products
Other products
“Please select the products you plan to purchase for your student#”
12. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 12
$5.6B is up for grabs. Shoppers likely to be undecided on where they will spend 22% of their
budget: online or in-store
In-store is expected account for more than half of B2C shopping
spend…
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
B2C spending by channel
Average B2C spend in 2018: $1,330
Average spend: $716
Share of total spend: 54%
In-store
Online
Average spend: $325
Share of total spend: 24%
*Undecided (In-store or Online)
Undecided* ?
Average spend: $289
Share of total spend: 22%
$13.8
Billion
$6.1
Billion
$5.6
Billion
Market size
13. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 13
12%
17%
18%
28%
32%
38%
65%
59%
55%
43%
40%
41%
23%
24%
27%
29%
28%
21%
13%
17%
18%
31%
28%
34%
65%
64%
61%
48%
48%
42%
22%
19%
21%
21%
24%
24%
Household appliances
& supplies
Clothing &
accessories
Dorm/apartment
furniture & supplies
Computers &
hardware
Electronic gadgets &
digital subscriptions
College supplies
In-StoreOnline Undecided (Online/In-store)Source: Deloitte survey
Sample size (N) = 1,025
…And is likely to be in prominence. In-store sales are projected
to grow in 2018, as a smaller percent of shopper are undecided
Category
The share of in-store is expected to increase in 2018 for all the categories except Household
appliances & supplies
2017 2018
14. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 14
Channel indecisiveness likely to vary with income level; low-
income shoppers are undecided for 31% of planned spend
48%
55%
58%
54%
21%
26%
26%
24%
31%
19%
16%
22%
Low-income
(Less than $50k)
Middle-income
($50k-$99k)
High-income
($100k+)
Overall
In-store Online Undecided
Three-fourths of low-income households plan to shop at different points during the summer
to take advantage of deals; hence, might delay their shopping channel decisions
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N)= 1,025
Share of B2C spending by channel
16. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 16
Early shoppers plan to spend 35%, equivalent to $377, more than those who start later in
the season
7 in 10 parents plan to begin B2C shopping early in the season
SeptemberEarlier than July
17%
EarlyinJuly
22%
LaterinJuly
29%
EarlyinAugust
25%
LaterinAugust
5%
2%
68% plan to begin shopping before August
(Average spend = $1,451)
$1,719 $1,451 $1,292 $1,090 $904 $1,279
Average
spend
32% plan to begin shopping in August or later
(Average spend = $1,074)#
Source: Deloitte survey
Question: “When does your household plan to begin its back-to-college shopping?”
#October which accounted for 0.3% of respondents (n=3) with avg. spend $1,753 is not shown in the chart above.
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
July August
17. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 17
$14B of B2C spend (50%) likely to take place in the one month
period of Late July to Early August
B2C shopping periods by traffic and total spend
80% of all back-to-college shoppers are expected to be active in this period, making it the
busiest time of the B2C season
Question: “Out of $__ you plan to spend on back-to-college shopping, how much do you plan to spend during the following periods?”
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
16%
34%
57%
66%
34%
8%
Earlier than July Early in July
(first 2 weeks)
Later in July
(last 2 weeks)
Early in August
(first 2 weeks)
Later in August
(last 2 weeks)
September
$2.5B $4.5B $6.7B $7.4B $3.4B $1.0B
$ B
Total B2C spend (out of $25.5B)
during noted period
% of active B2C shoppers
during noted period
All categories are likely to experience peak sales in early August except for Computers &
hardware, which is likely to experience peak shopping in late July
18. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 18
Home electronics, furnishings, and warehouse stores likely to
witness peak shopper activity 2 weeks earlier than other retail
formats
Retail format
Earlier than
July
Early in July
(first 2 weeks)
Later in July
(last 2 weeks)
Early in August
(first 2 weeks)
Later in August
(last 2 weeks)
September
Mass merchants 15% 32% 60% 73% 37% 9%
Bookstores# 14% 29% 53% 66% 34% 7%
Online only 15% 30% 54% 64% 36% 10%
Home electronics 28% 51% 73% 62% 36% 8%
Off-price stores 15% 29% 53% 68% 32% 6%
Department stores 23% 39% 52% 61% 19% 3%
Fast fashion* 10% 45% 59% 72% 21% 7%
Office supply/
technology stores*
17% 39% 61% 65% 39% 4%
Home furnishings/
housewares stores*
29% 67% 76% 43% 24% 5%
Warehouse
membership clubs*
26% 47% 58% 58% 26% 5%
B2C shopper activity by period across top 10 retail formats
* Sample size at overall level less than 30 # includes both On-campus and off-campus stores
Question: (1) At which type of retailer do you anticipate spending the most money this back-to-college shopping season?
Question: (2) Out of $______ you plan to spend on back-to-college shopping, how much do you plan to spend during the following months?
Note: Sample size (includes only respondents who plan to spend the most money at the above mentioned retail format)
19. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 19
Early shoppers are most likely to be parents of first-time college
students, seeking best deals for big-ticket items
Early shoppers – Those who start shopping before August
Late shoppers – Those who start shopping in August or later
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size - Early shoppers n=695, Late shoppers n=330
Early shoppers
Avg. spend: $1,451
Late shoppers
Avg. spend: $1,074
B2C Shoppers
Parents having at least one student entering
college this fall as freshmen
Expect to find the best back-to-college deals
early in the season
Plan to shop at different points throughout
the summer to take advantage of deals
Share of dorm/apartment furniture &
supplies in total B2C budget
Share of computers & hardware in total
B2C budget
40%
37%
77%
15%
19%
26%
24%
57%
10%
12%
21. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 21
59% of shoppers plan to make a purchase using desktop/laptop while only 42% plan to do
so using mobile
Usage of digital platforms for B2C likely to be down or flat to last
year, with highest usage to find prices and discounts
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025; # Multi-select question
Digital Connection
% of total
shoppers
Top Uses
MobileDesktop/
laptop
Social
69%
(80% in 2017)
45%
(44% in 2017)
13%
(18% in 2017)
61%
59%
47%
43%
53%
53%
42%
41%
60%
58%
55%
52%
Get price information
Make a purchase
Compare to similar products
Get product information
Get price information
Collect discounts, coupons, sale
information
Make a purchase
Access a mobile shopping app
Receive a coupon
Find info on promotions/view ads
Browse products
Read reviews/recommendations
22. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 22
Free shipping appears to remain the leading factor while
selecting online retailer during B2C season
“Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements (% who agree or somewhat agree)”
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025
75%
47%
40%
39%
More likely to purchase from online retailers who offer free
shipping
Purchase from those retailers that offer an option to buy
online and return to store
Purchase from those retailers that offer an option to buy
online and pick-up in-store
Prefer loyalty programs that provide faster or cheaper
shipping more than product discounts while shopping
online
Free shipping
Buy online, return to store
Buy online, pick up in-store
Loyalty program with shipping options
45%
42%
53%
78%
Preferences while shopping online
2017
responses
24. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 24
The majority of parents expect to be highly collaborative in
budgeting and shopping, leading to high student influence
4%
6%
8%
4%
9%
69%
I decide on the budget and
shop on my own
I decide on the budget, my
student shops alone
My student(s) set the budget
and shop on their own
I discuss budgeting with my
student(s), but shop alone
My student(s) set the budget
and we shop together
I discuss budgeting and shop
with my student(s)
Source: Deloitte survey
Sample size (N) = 1,009 (Re-based to exclude ‘others’)
Which of the following best describes your approach for back-to-college shopping?
Parents – Decision making
Fewer than 20% of respondents expect that they or their students will shop alone
82%
Plan to collaborate with
their students during
B2C shopping
18%
of parents expect the B2C
season to be planned and
shopped separately
25. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 25
8 out of 10 parents expect their students to contribute less than
50% to their B2C shopping budget
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Sample size (N) = 1,025.
2%
17%
22% 22%
19%
11%
5%
2%
Uncertain 0% 1-10% 11-25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-99% 100%
“Considering your student’s budget requirements for back-to-college shopping, what percentage will your student likely
contribute?”
Only 18%
of parents expect their kids to
contribute more than half of budget
80%
of parents plan to spend more than
half of the total B2C spend
Students likely contribution to B2C shopping according to parents
26. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 26
$495
$281 $264
$407
$764
$373
$470
$278
$205
$340
$569
$348
Shoppers with at least one Freshmen
student
Other shoppers
Parents with freshmen students are likely to spend more than
other shoppers, especially on computers & hardware
Computers &
hardware
Electronic
gadgets & digital
subscriptions
College
supplies
Clothing &
accessories
Household
appliances &
supplies
Dorm/apartment
furniture &
supplies
Source: Deloitte survey
Note: Survey sample size (N)= 1,025
Parents of freshmen students vs other shoppers – Avg. B2C spend by category ($)
28. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 28
Overall
rank
Low-
income
Middle-
income
High-
income
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2
3 4 3 3
4 3 9 15
5 5 5 7
6 7 4 6
7 7 6 9
8 5 12 10
9 12 7 5
10 13 8 4
11 10 9 8
12 11 11 12
13 14 13 11
14 15 14 14
15 9 16 16
16 16 15 13
17 17 17 17
18 19 18 18
19 19 18 20
20 18 20 18
Mass merchants and on-campus book stores are most preferred
formats, followed by a number of price-based retailers
“In what types of retail environments do you plan to do
your Back-to-College shopping? #”
Source: Deloitte survey
Sample size (N) = 1,025; # Multi-select question
4%
4%
4%
7%
16%
17%
18%
21%
24%
26%
26%
27%
27%
29%
30%
31%
32%
51%
61%
75%
Retailer’s mobile apps
Pop-up retail stores on college campus
Catalogs
Specialty clothing stores
Home furnishings and housewares stores
Consignment shops/thrift stores
Retailer’s websites
Supermarkets
Drug stores
Home electronics stores
Warehouse membership clubs
Traditional department stores
Bookstores (Off-campus)
Fast fashion apparel retailers
Office supply/technology stores
Off-price stores
Dollar stores
Online only retailers
Bookstores (On-campus)
Mass merchants
Format preferred by
low-income group
Format preferred by
high-income group
Low income households have a preference for price based formats (e.g., dollar stores) while
higher income groups prefer premium formats (e.g., warehouse clubs, department stores)
29. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 29
$534
$324
$246
$415
$783
$394
$497
$282
$227
$365
$722
$383
$420
$242
$207
$319
$555
$301
$479
$279
$226
$366
$674
$357
High-Income ($100k+)
Medium-Income ($50k-$99k)
Low-Income (Less than $50k)
Overall
Shoppers from high-income households likely to spend the most
across all B2C product categories
Computers &
hardware
Electronic
gadgets & digital
subscriptions
College
supplies
Clothing &
accessories
Household
appliances &
supplies
Dorm/apartment
furniture &
supplies
Note: Survey sample size (N) = 1,025
Avg. spend is calculated only for the respondents who plan to purchase at least one item from the above mentioned category
The average spend gap between low-income and high-income groups is most stark in
computers & hardware
30. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 30
15%
21%
28%
20%
6% 6%
23%
26%
22%
16%
7%
2%
36%
20%
13%
19%
6%
3%
25%
22%
20%
18%
6%
4%
Mass merchants Fast fashion Department
stores
Off-price stores Online only* Specialty
clothing stores*
While low-income HHs prefer mass merchants, middle- and high-income shoppers are plan
to shop across categories, with small tendencies to fast fashion and dep’t stores respectively
Retail format preferences for clothing vary significantly by
household incomes
Preferred retail formats for Clothing & accessories – By income
* Sample size at household income-level has fewer than 30 respondents; # Sample size at overall level has fewer than 30 respondents
Question: (1) “Which type of retailer will you shop the most for clothing and accessories during this back-to-college season?”
Question: (2) “For the following categories, please indicate the total amount you estimate you will spend during back-to-college shopping season?”
Note: Sample size – High-income (n = 341), Middle-income (n = 248), Low-income (n = 308), Overall (n = 797)
$235 $300 $313 $276 $271 $363#
High-income
($100K+)
Middle-income
($50K – $99K)
Low-income
(Less than $50K)
Avg. category spend
by preferred retail format
Full category
average
31. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 31
46%
13%
22%
5%
8%
41%
23% 24%
7%
1%
42%
28%
15%
7%
4%
43%
22%
20%
7%
4%
Other than home electronic stores, low-income shoppers are more disposed to shop at mass
merchants, while higher income groups are likely to opt for online-only retailers
For digital product categories, home electronic stores are a clear
preference both in intended visits and budgeted spend
Preferred retail formats for ‘Electronic gadgets/computers & hardware’ – By income
* Sample size at household income-level has fewer than 30 respondents; # Sample size at overall level has fewer than 30 respondents
Question: (1) “Which type of retailer will you shop the most for ‘Electronic gadgets/Computers & hardware’ during this back-to-college season?”
Question: (2) “For the following categories, please indicate the total amount you estimate you will spend during back-to-college shopping season?”
Note: Sample size – High-income (n = 172), Middle-income (n = 148), Low-income (n = 193), Overall (n = 513)
Home electronic
stores
Mass merchants Online only Office supply/
technology stores*
Warehouse
membership clubs*
High-income
($100K+)
Middle-income
($50K – $99K)
Low-income
(Less than $50K)
Avg. category spend
by preferred retail format
Full category
average
$784 $477 $612 $701 $778#
32. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 32
59%
18%
14%
1%
3%
62%
18%
9%
4% 3%
64%
14%
8%
10%
2%
62%
17%
10%
5%
3%
Nearly two-thirds of B2C shoppers prefer mass merchants for college supplies shopping;
there are small trends by income to other formats for the remaining 1/3 of this category
Mass merchants likely to hold clear lead over other retail formats
when it comes to college supplies
Preferred retail formats for ‘College supplies’ – By income
* Sample size at household income-level has fewer than 30 respondents; # Sample size at overall level has fewer than 30 respondents
Question: (1) “Which type of retailer will you shop the most for college supplies during this back-to-college season?”
Question: (2) “For the following categories, please indicate the total amount you estimate you will spend during back-to-college shopping season?”
Note: Sample size – High-income (n = 288), Middle-income (n = 279), Low-income (n = 350), Overall (n = 917)
Mass merchants Office supply/
technology stores
Online only* Dollar stores* Warehouse
membership clubs*
High-income
($100K+)
Middle-income
($50K – $99K)
Low-income
(Less than $50K)
Avg. category spend
by preferred retail format
Full category
average
$464 $548 $508 $283 $650#
33. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 33
63%
13%
9% 7%
4%
0%
65%
12%
6%
3% 5%
3%
63%
9% 8%
4%
1%
6%
64%
11%
8%
5% 3% 3%
Conventional formats for furniture and household supplies – warehouse clubs and home
furnishing/houseware stores – likely to lag way behind mass merchants in preference
Dominance of mass merchants as the most preferred format for
furniture and household supplies holds across income levels
Preferred retail formats for ‘Dorm furniture/household appliances & supplies’ – By income
* Sample size at household income-level has fewer than 30 respondents; # Sample size at overall level has fewer than 30 respondents
Question: (1) “Which type of retailer will you shop the most for ‘Dorm/Apartment furniture & supplies’ and ‘Household appliances & supplies’ during this back-to-
college season?”
Question: (2) “For the following categories, please indicate the total amount you estimate you will spend during back-to-college shopping season?”
Note: Sample size – High-income (n = 243), Middle-income (n = 232), Low-income (n = 289), Overall (n = 764)
Mass merchants Off-price stores Online only* Warehouse
membership
clubs*
Home
furnishings and
housewares*
Dollar stores*
High-income
($100K+)
Middle-income
($50K – $99K)
Low-income
(Less than $50K)
Avg. category spend
by preferred retail format
Full category
average
$406 $580 $448 $619 $822# $266#
34. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 34
About the survey
Survey timing: May 31 to June 13, 2018
Sample:. The survey polled a sample of 1,025 parents with college-going children with respondents having at
least one child attending college in Undergraduate or Graduate courses this fall
Methodology: The survey was conducted online using an independent research panel
Demographics
Income group (N=1,025):
• Low-income – Household income less than $50,000 (n=397)
• Middle-income – Household income between $50,000 and $99,999 (n=315)
• High-income – Household income $100,000 and more (n=313)
Region (N=1,025):
• West: (n=211)
• Midwest: (n=242)
• South: (n=378)
• Northeast: (n=194)
35. 2018 back-to-college surveyCopyright © 2018 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved. 35
About the survey
This annual Deloitte survey was conducted online
using an independent research panel between May
31 – June 13, 2018. The survey polled a sample of
1,025 parents with college-going children and has
a margin of error for the entire sample of plus or
minus three percentage points.
Deloitte Center for Industry Insights
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research division of Deloitte LLP’s Consumer and
Industrial Products practices. The center’s goal is
to inform stakeholders of critical business issues,
including emerging trends, challenges and
opportunities. Using primary research and rigorous
analysis, the center provides unique perspectives
and seeks to be a trusted source for relevant,
timely and reliable insights.
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