Ebates Survey: In Back to School Shopping, Price Is Everything

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

As summer wanes, parents and teens prepare themselves for the annual tradition--back to school shopping. According to a new survey conducted on behalf of Ebates, a leader and pioneer in cash back shopping and subsidiary of the global internet services company Rakuten, many parents (38 percent) will spend between $250-$500 this year on back to school shopping and anticipate that the majority of this money will be spent on name brand clothing, even though this is the thing they least look forward to shopping for. The survey also discovered that price was the single most influential factor in a parent's decision whether or not to make a back to school purchase.

The national survey, conducted online by Propeller Insights on behalf of Ebates in June 2016, was fielded among 1,024 adults and 501 teens.

Needs, wants, must-haves

Parents and teens were mostly aligned in their thoughts on back to school necessities. Both said school supplies topped their shopping lists, but teens put a higher priority on stylish clothing:

Which item is at the top of your back to school shopping list?		Percent of Americans who said this		Percent of American teens who said this
1. School supplies		37 percent		43 percent
2. Clothing essentials (off-brand basics)		32 percent		22 percent
3. Stylish name brand clothing		22 percent		25 percent
4. Technology		6 percent		5 percent
5. Book bag or backpack		3 percent		4 percent

Both parents and teens expect to spend the most money on name brand clothing (53 percent), followed by clothing essentials (42 percent) and technology (30 percent).

"Our annual back to school survey shows that like most years parents will need to find the delicate balance between the things their teens want and the things they need," said Kevin H. Johnson, CEO of Ebates. "At Ebates, we want to make the back to school shopping experience as easy and affordable as possible. Back to school shoppers can use Ebates.com to find the best deals at over 1,800 retailers and to purchase all the hot items on their shopping lists in time for the first day of school and earn cash back in the process."

Do-not-wants

While teens acknowledged the obvious need for school supplies, that is also what the majority said they were least looking forward to shopping for (36 percent), followed by off-brand clothing essentials (25 percent).

Parents, on the other hand, are least looking forward to shopping for stylish name brand clothes (34 percent).

Teens also lamented that each year they are forced to buy school supplies they never use—foremost among these: rulers (37 percent), protractors (36 percent) and textbook covers (33 percent).

To buy or not to buy—and how!

Most parents (38 percent) expect to spend between $250-$500 on back to school shopping, and another 27 percent will spend between $100-$250. A generous 24 percent say they will spend $500-$1,000.

When asked what factor most influences their decision to buy a certain back to school item or not, the resounding response was price, almost to the exclusion of other factors:

When back to school shopping, what factor most influences your decision to buy a certain item or not?		Percent of Americans who said this
1. Price		55 percent
2. Quality of product		20 percent
3. How much my teen wants it		11 percent
4. Whether or not it's on sale		7 percent
5. Whether or not it's made in the USA		4 percent

The survey also discovered that 60 percent of parents will do at least some of their back to school shopping online.

From now until August 31, back to school shoppers can receive up to double cash back on select retailers via Ebates. For more details on specific retailers participating in the special offer, visit Ebates.com. Shoppers can also download the free Ebates.com app at Google Play and the App Store.

About Ebates

Ebates rewards consumers with cash back on purchases while also providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, promotions and special deals, including free shipping, at over 2,000 retailers. Free membership allows consumers to shop online at their favorite retailers while earning a percentage of every purchase they make, paid quarterly in the form of a "Big Fat Check" or through PayPal. From niceties to necessities, members of Ebates benefit from incentives at top-name merchants for everything from furniture to fashion and appliances to airfare. Because shopping with Ebates is hassle-free—with no rebate forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem—the site supports a strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the world.

Ebates is a registered trademark of Ebates Performance Marketing, Inc. Rakuten is a registered trademark of Rakuten, Inc. Google Play is a registered trademark of Google Inc. App Store is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. PayPal is a registered trademark of PayPal, Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160726005474/en/