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How school shopping has

changed in the pandemic era

Back-to-school shopping sales have long been
indicators that the summer vacation season is
coming to a close. Students and their parents
may visit area stores or browse online looking
for items to make the coming school year a
success. Those lists have looked similar for
decades, but shopping for school supplies in
the pandemic era may prove to be a unique
experience.

Though hundreds of millions of adults and
adolescents have now been vaccinated against
COVID-19, there figures to be some lingering effects • Traditional supplies become less necessary: In
of the pandemic during the upcoming school year. 2020, Deloitte forecasted that a shift in preferences
That could affect which school supplies families buy and intentions would result in parents buying fewer
in the weeks to come. Here’s a look at some of the traditional supplies, such as notebooks and office
latest trends. supplies, as they chose to invest in digital resources
to supplement children’s education. That shift likely
• A shift from physical stores: According to data will continue into this school year.
from IBM’s U.S. Retail Index, the pandemic has
accelerated a shift away from physical stores to • Support for local retailers: Community spirit grew
digital shopping by about five years. It’s likely that in the early days of the pandemic and continues now.
school shoppers will turn to the internet for their Many people prefer to shop in locally owned stores.
supplies, which means local brick and mortar shops Eighty percent of customers surveyed feel more or
should increase their web presence and digital as connected to their communities, according to the
shopping capabilities to reach online shoppers. This business industry consultant company Accenture. A Special Advertising Section of The Morning Call
includes omnichannel fulfillment, such as buy online
and pickup in store (BOPIS) options. • Customers are trying new brands and products:
Shoppers are trying new products out of curiosity
• Reassessment of what’s essential: The pandemic as well as necessity. Back-to-school shopping may
may have changed which items consumers consider include novel brands and other items that may not
essential. For example, clothing became less have been readily purchased in years past. |
significant as a greater number of students were
enrolled in virtual learning. Back-to-school shoppers Back-to-school shopping may continue to look a bit
may purchase less clothing and focus more on tech different than in previous years, spawning trends that
items, among others. may ultimately become the new normal. Sunday, August 29, 2021

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