PayPal said back to school (BTS) spending is up despite the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic – and shopping lists now include safety supplies and remote-learning tech products.
PayPal commissioned Netfluential to study 600 college students and 1,200 K-12 parents in July 2020. It found that 70% of students and parents admit to shopping online more often than before due to COVID-19, and 73% students and 65% parents anticipate shopping online for their back-to-school needs.
Forty percent of parents and 35% of college students plan to spend more this year than last. First-year college students will spend $732 on average, compared to $444 among K-12 parents.
Among college students, 70% are doing more online shopping than before because of the pandemic and nearly three-quarters will be doing their back-to-school shopping online.
A spokesperson for PayPal told EcommerceBytes that parents and students anticipate increasing their purchases of non-traditional items, including safety supplies (87%) like masks, hand sanitizers and gloves, along with remote learning tech (59%).
She said parents are investing to upgrade their at-home, learning environment – with 63% planning to spend more on remote learning furniture and home goods.
You can find more information on the PayPal corporate newsroom website, which includes an infographic highlighting the results of the BTS shopping study.
