--- title: Five Back-to-School Retail Predictions description: A survey conducted by JLL provides retailer predictions and expectations for the 2018-2019 back-to-school shopping season. image: https://connect.regencycenters.com/hubfs/https_2F2Fblogs-images.forbes.com2Fgregmaloney2Ffiles2F20182F082FLittle-Girl-Backpack-1200x833.jpg --- - [Home](https://www.regencycenters.com/) - [Properties](https://connect.regencycenters.com/properties) - [In Development](https://connect.regencycenters.com/in-development) - [Regency](https://connect.regencycenters.com/regency) - [Contact](https://connect.regencycenters.com/contact) - [Investors](http://investors.regencycenters.com) - [Tenants](https://connect.regencycenters.com/tenants) - [Blog](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog) - [Corporate Responsibility](https://www.regencycenters.com/corporate-responsibility) - [Leadership](https://www.regencycenters.com/leadership) - [Investors](http://investors.regencycenters.com) - [Tenants](https://www.regencycenters.com/tenants) - [Careers](https://www.regencycenters.com/regency/careers) [![Regency Centers](https://www.regencycenters.com/ResourcePackages/Regency/assets/dist/images/regency-centers.svg)](https://www.regencycenters.com/) [![Search](https://www.regencycenters.com/ResourcePackages/Regency/assets/dist/images/icon-search.svg) Properties](https://www.regencycenters.com/properties) ![Menu](https://www.regencycenters.com/ResourcePackages/Regency/assets/dist/images/icon-menu.svg) Menu - [Properties](https://www.regencycenters.com/properties) - [In Development](https://www.regencycenters.com/in-development) - [Regency](https://www.regencycenters.com/regency) - [Contact](https://www.regencycenters.com/contact) Search - [Inside Regency](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/topic/inside-regency) - [News Releases](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/topic/news-releases) - [Retailer News](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/topic/retailer-news) # Five Back-to-School Retail Predictions [Regency Centers](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/author/regency-centers) [Retailer News](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/topic/retailer-news) August 15, 2018 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for retailers, at least. With the ever-elusive summer break already behind us yet again, the start of the 2018-2019 school year is in full swing. And while children and families across the nation are frantically filling their shopping carts with the latest and greatest back-to-school essentials, retailers in industries from school supplies to fashion are gearing up to meet the varying demands to successfully deliver. So, the million dollar question is: what should retailers expect from this year’s back-to-school season? A recent survey conducted by [JLL](http://retailblog.jll.com/2018/08/08/5-things-retailers-should-know-for-back-to-school/) and broken down by [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregmaloney/2018/08/02/five-things-retailers-should-know-for-back-to-school/#49e336a53e8f) gives us the scoop on the spending habits and shopping tactics of today’s school parents. **![Little girl with big red backpack holding hands with her mom](https://connect.regencycenters.com/hs-fs/hubfs/https_2F2Fblogs-images.forbes.com2Fgregmaloney2Ffiles2F20182F082FLittle-Girl-Backpack-1200x833.jpg?width=960&name=https_2F2Fblogs-images.forbes.com2Fgregmaloney2Ffiles2F20182F082FLittle-Girl-Backpack-1200x833.jpg)1. This Year's Hot Spots** While the top shopping destinations for back-to-schoolers aren’t exactly a shock with [Walmart](http://www.walmart.com), [Target](http://www.target.com) and [Amazon](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/www.amazon.com) taking the lead, the substantial gap between store-based and online merchandise is what’s most interesting. Reports show Walmart (50%) and Target (47%) were selected by half of all parents. Amazon was the choice for only 16%, which was ahead of [Staples](https://www.staples.com/) (10%).  **2. Money Matters** Unsurprisingly, more than a third of parents are motivated to shop where low prices and competitive discounts are offered, which is actually a drop from the previous year, when roughly half of parents ranked price as their number one reason for shopping. As for the kiddos’ preferences, nearly 75% of kids play a part in deciding what to buy and where to buy it, and nearly 40% are there to actually help select specific brands and products. As for the outliers, 20% have full autonomy on the purchasing process, with 7% doing their own shopping altogether! **3. Quality Over Quantity** More than half of parents will stick to one or two mass merchandisers for their school shopping trip(s) this year in an attempt to maximize their time and efficiency, with one-third of parents planning to visit 3-5 stores. On the other side of the coin, 7% of shoppers are planning to visit six or more stores. **4. Time is of the Essence** The majority of parents (54%) plan to begin back-to-school shopping at least two weeks before school starts. Of those 54%, 20% will begin more than a month beforehand. 10% of parents will be last-minute shoppers during the week leading up to school, while 12% will shop intermittently throughout the year on an as-needed basis and avoid the madness altogether.  **5. Fashion Backward?** When it comes to back-to-school fashion, nearly half of parents (49%) allocate their budget toward clothing, shoes and accessories, which is a substantial drop from last year’s 57%. However, 33% will allocate the majority of their budget to school supplies and stationary needs in comparison to last year’s 27 percent. Other budgets are leaning toward books (7%), electronics (6%) and dorm room essentials (5%).  As noted by [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregmaloney/2018/08/02/five-things-retailers-should-know-for-back-to-school/#49e336a53e8f), a key factor to remember during this booming retail season is that parents view it as an essential spend and investment, while shopping periods like the holidays are more discretionary and vary on a case-by-case basis. And although these habits and statistics seem to shift from year-to-year, the retail market — and specifically discount brands — can typically always expect a solid boost in sales around this time of year. Learn more about back-to-school retail predictions [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregmaloney/2018/08/02/five-things-retailers-should-know-for-back-to-school/#49e336a53e8f). Photo credit: [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregmaloney/2018/08/02/five-things-retailers-should-know-for-back-to-school/#49e336a53e8f) ##### Connect With Us [Join Our Mailing List](https://www.regencycenters.com/connect-with-us/)  > [Explore Our Markets](https://www.regencycenters.com/properties/our-markets)  > [Find a Space For Your Place](https://www.regencycenters.com/properties)  > ##### Related Stories [May 09 Carmine’s Eatery Reopens at Regency’s Newtown Square After Renovations](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/carmines-eatery-reopens-at-regencys-newtown-square-after-renovations) [May 02 Serramonte Center’s Jagalchi Brings a Taste of Korea to the Bay Area](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/serramonte-centers-jagalchi-brings-a-taste-of-korea-to-the-bay-area) [Mar 18 ShopRite Launches at Regency's Glenwood Green With Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/new-shoprite-launches-at-regencys-glenwood-green-with-ribbon-cutting-ceremony) [Nov 19 Northeast Momentum: Regency Delivers New Retail Destinations](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/driving-northeast-development-regency-delivers-community-focused-retail) [Mar 31 Regency Announces 'Glenwood Green' Ground-Up Development in New Jersey](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/glenwood-green-commerical-development) [Jan 22 Target's Affordable New Line Fills Gap in Baby Market](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/target-fills-gap-in-baby-market-with-affordable-cloud-island-line) [Apr 24 Walmart is Paving the Way for the Future of Curbside Grocery Pick-Up](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/walmart-is-paving-the-way-for-the-future-of-curbside-grocery-pick-up) [Dec 20 Target, Best Buy, Macy's Among 2018 Standout Holiday Retailers](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/target-best-buy-macys-and-more-among-2018-standout-holiday-retailers) [Aug 29 Learn How Walmart and Nordstrom are Utilizing Influencer Marketing Tactics](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/learn-how-gen-z-online-influencers-are-changing-the-retail-marketing-landscape) [Jan 23 The Shops at Stone Bridge Takes Shape With Exciting New Retailers](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/the-shops-at-stone-bridge-takes-shape-with-exciting-new-retailers) [Dec 05 Tatte Bakery & Café Opens at Regency’s Westbard Square](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/tatte-bakery-café-opens-at-regencys-westbard-square) [Nov 15 New Grocers Expand in Regency’s Portfolio With Two Southern California Openings in 30 Days](https://connect.regencycenters.com/blog/new-grocers-expand-regencys-portfolio-with-two-southern-california-openings-in-30-days) Subscribe [![Regency Centers](https://www.regencycenters.com/ResourcePackages/Regency/assets/dist/images/regency-centers.svg)](https://connect.regencycenters.com/) - 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