Back-to-School Sale Avoidance Continues

Americans have been avoiding back-to-school sales, and the trend seems to be getting worse for retailers.

According to an ongoing shopper behavior study conducted by The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, the number of consumers who indicated that they would not be shopping back-to-school increased by 7% last year, to 36%.

As fewer shoppers are showing up in stores, more are opting for online shopping. This is especially true of younger back-to-school shoppers.

Millennials are particularly keen to avoid the whole back-to-school melee, with 47% planning to do their shopping at the last minute.

What happened to the traditional back-to-school mob scene in stores?

Integer Group executive Craig Elston believes that people are waiting until the school year starts to find the best products at the lowest prices. “This tactic could be contributing to the way the back-to-school shopping occasion is shrinking. Retailers should continue to find new ways to offer shoppers more perceived bang for their buck,” he said.

Another reason for this avoidance is that back-to-school shopping has always been more of a chore than a joyful experience.