As back to school shopping is coming to an end, Jeff Doucette, General Manager at Field Agent Canada and Jamie Cormack, the co-founder of Herschel Supply Co, discuss the current state of back to school shopping, new trends, and what consumers can see in future years.
Early Bird Gets the Worm
The biggest difference Doucette and Cormack have seen this year is consumers completing their back to school shopping earlier – even starting in May.
“Back to school shopping continues to get earlier and earlier every year. We have seen back to school displays starting to hit the stores right after the kids are out of school or if you are at Costco, sometimes you see the back to school products starting in late May. Parents are definitely shopping earlier than usual,” says Doucett.
Doucette says the three biggest retailers for this year’s back to school shopping are Walmart, Costco, and Dollarama. All three started displays earlier this year as Doucette says around forty percent of parents started shopping earlier compared to previous years and one reason might be because of the supply chain. As parents last year experienced supply shortage, Doucette says it could have scared parents into shopping earlier.
The second reason for the increase of shopping earlier could be because of inflation.
“People are shopping for value. Everyone knows inflation is out there and it is real, so they are shopping earlier. Maybe you can pick up a few things along the way to save some dollars versus going out at the last minute and buying everything at whatever price in the last week of August. Some of these smart shoppers are getting out earlier because they know it is going to cost more this year,” says Doucette.
Herschel Supply Co has also noticed consumers shopping earlier compared to previous years.
“Back to school feels like it is back to what it was before the pandemic. We obviously have seen an increase in sales and we are seeing some early shoppers. It is nice to see that the season is getting back to normal and it feels a lot more like the old days,” says Cormack.
What Consumers Are Looking For
This year, Doucette said consumers are not just shopping for school supplies, but are shopping more for clothing, footwear, and backpacks.
“When we take a look at the types of things people are buying, we definitely see footwear and clothing being important categories. People are shopping more for clothes than they are for basic school supplies such as pens and pencils,” says Doucette. “Some schools are now supplying basic school supplies or allow parents to buy in advance, so only 81 percent of people are shopping for actual school supplies.”
Two school items parents are buying less of this year Doucette says include electronics and hand sanitizer.
Last year, 53 percent of consumers said they would buy electronics such as calculators and computers but this year it has decreased to 39 percent. One reason for this change could be because during the pandemic, a lot of students needed technology at home for remote learning. As these products have a tendency to last years, there was no need to buy more or replace.
“We did see some things on the way down, like electronics and maybe a bit obvious but things like hand sanitizer. Only 34 percent of people said they would buy it this year and that number was 58 percent last year, and was 75 percent at the height of the pandemic. So that is one category that less and less shoppers are looking to buy,” says Doucette.
On the flip side, Doucette said backpacks are popular this year as it seems like 70 percent of kids have bought a new backpack this year.
Herschel Backpacks – New and Improved
Herschel has lined up the 90s trend for this back to school season and is continuing to evolve as technology grows.
“I think this year in particular really lines up well for us because on a trend front, the 90s for us is back and that really blends well with everything we do. We really look at classic design, utility design with a modern twist,” says Cormack.
Compared to previous years, Cormack said Herschel has taken a step forward into technology and fabrication. The brand has also taken a step forward into sustainability as over 90 percent of its brands are sustainable.
“We really focused on textiles and truly looked at the user today going back to school with more technology. So making sure that we have the right feature set to match what students are looking for to go back to school,” says Cormack.
Cormack says its backpacks have more computer sleeves, better internal pockets, smaller pockets for things like air pods, and chargers.
The most important thing Cormack said was they designed their backpacks to have easy access and to have pockets that make sense.
“We do not want to just add a bunch of pockets – we want to add the right pockets in the right places so that our consumer can unzip a bag and go in the pockets just in the right place and where it feels natural and unforced,” says Cormack.
One thing Herschel has paid particular attention to is computer sleeves. In addition to protecting tablets with its built-in sleeves, Cormack says they have made the sleeves easier to access.
“If you are just sitting down, you can access the tablet from the side of your bag, or you can unzip the bag for access. So we have multiple options on how to access things easier, making it faster to pull things in and out,” says Cormack.
As some things progressed, some features have stayed the same such as the need for a water bottle or hoodie. In terms of finding the right backpack for your needs, Cormack says consumers need to love the aesthetic first, think about what they need it for, and if you want a smaller or larger bag.
“You have to fall in love with the aesthetic, volume of the bag, and then you dive into the features. Our bags are consistent through having water bottle packers, external pockets, and small pockets for keys, but when you get inside – you have to determine if the bag is right for you,” says Cormack.
As for upgrades to next school year, Cormack says they have already started working on their plans and are constantly looking into upgrades.
“We have already started working on our backpacks for next year. Nothing is drastically different, but the brand feels so progressive as we have new partnerships planned, new prints, new colours, and some new silhouettes coming so it is really exciting,” says Cormack.
What’s For Lunch?
Being out of remote learning and back in school also means parents need to organize lunches and snacks.
“That side of the business has probably rebounded quite a bit in terms of lunch packing items versus lunch you might feed your kid at home. I might cook them spaghetti for lunch if they are home, but if they are off to school – I might be making them a sandwich,” says Doucette.
Doucette says the amount of food bought per household probably will not change; however, the type of food consumers buy will.
One thing Doucette thinks is missing is food retailers capturing the “food basket throughout the year.”
“I have not seen it yet, but I think it would be an amazing idea for food retailers to have a cafeteria that has a menu for the week as it would be interesting to have different meal plans.”
If food retailers have an option for five day meal plans it would make it easier for parents to quickly shop for the week. Doucette also mentioned retailers having everything for school in close proximity and solutions for mix and match lunches – “that could go a long way to being a really convenient solution.”
Making Shopping Painless
Doucette has said most back to school retailers, such as Walmart and Staples, have its back to school shopping all in one place – a shop in shop. Consumers are doing the bulk of their shopping from a dedicated back to school area and said even with his kids, this year he was able to complete 95 percent of his shopping in the section.
The shop in shop experience also is an opportunity to show parents what is cool this year for kids and some retailers go further and divide it by age group, making it easier to find the right products for students.
Online shopping has also seen an increase as Doucette says at least 80 percent have done some of their shopping online.
“When we look at where consumers are shopping online, Amazon wins the battle in terms of shopping back to school online and Walmart comes second. The ability to push on the ecommerce side makes it even easier, even if it is not delivered to your home,” says Doucette.
Doucette said online retailers could have a landing page for back to school with a student checklist and either have the items shipped to your home or pick it up at a store location. They would also have the opportunity to divide products into different age groups, again making it easier to find what is cool as parents may not know what to buy for their kids.
“Retailers need to make back to school shopping more convenient and easier as it is not fun for anybody. It takes some preplanning, but the reality is – school is already here this year and now is the time for retailers to start thinking about back to school 2024. Some of these things may not be something you implement today, but next year,” says Doucette.
