MasterCard: Back-to-School Spending Survey

MasterCard: Back-to-School Spending Survey July 2011
©2011 MasterCard International Incorporated

Overview
Concerns About the Economy Impact Back-to-School
Spenders vs. Savers
Practical but Cool for Back-to-School
Back-to-School Blues
MarketPlace Back-to-School Deals
Mobile Phones and Smart Shopping
Holiday Spending Outlook
Methodology
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96% of respondents with at least one household member or child in school will shop for back-to-school items this season, but 75% of back-to-school shoppers surveyed say the economy will impact purchase decisions.
These economically concerned consumers plan to take action to save money on back-to-school by:
Looking for more discounts, coupons and deals (69%);
Buying only absolute necessities (50%);
Doing more comparison shopping (46%);
Only shopping in stores that offer sales (44%).
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Concerns About the Economy Impact Back-to-School
Source: : Harris Poll® National Quorum

During what has traditionally been the 2nd busiest shopping season, 46% of back-to-school shoppers plan to spend the same as they did last year; 24% plan to spend less on back-to-school purchases; and only 30% plan to spend more.
Of those who plan to spend more, reasons cited include:
Needing more expensive items this year (49%);
Rising prices/inflation (44%);
More children/household members in school (25%);
Having previously held off on purchases that are now needed (16%);
Feeling better about the economy/personal finances (10%).
Of those who plan to spend less, the following reasons were cited:
Needing less expensive items this year (49%);
Being concerned about the economy/personal finances (47%);
Using hand-me-downs or borrowed items (22%);
Having fewer household members/children in school (15%).
Back-to-school shoppers by far value getting a good deal/price (58%) over getting the right/best items (22%).
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Spenders vs. Savers

Practical but Cool for Back-to-School
Even with practical purchasing on their minds, 54% of back-to-school respondents plan to make a “cool” purchase for school. The “cool” purchases respondents plan to make include:
Electronics (53%);
Trendy outfit for back-to-school (30%).
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65% of back-to-school shoppers find some aspects of the transition to school stressful. Among these individuals, the primary stressors include:
Extra spending (51%);
Staying organized and on schedule (48%);
Preparing and getting the necessary items in time (38%);
Managing extra responsibilities (35%);
Adjusting to new learning environments (28%).
While men and women find the back-to-school transition equally stressful (63% of men vs. 66% of women find the transition stressful), women find staying organized and on schedule more stressful than men.
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Back-to School Blues

MarketPlace Back-to-School Deals
With the economy hitting consumers’ wallets hard, MasterCard MarketPlace™ is offering some spending relief with back-to-school deals and steals throughout the season:
Searchon MasterCard MarketPlace for great deals on “Back To School” to find everything you need for the school year ahead – from tablets to books and cool clothing looks;
Overwhelming Offers – deep discounts of at least 50% – on computers and other Back-to-School items;
Personalization features that allow you to highlight favorite brands and get an alert when there’s one you’ll love;
Everyday deals from thousands of merchants, saving consumers 5% to 50% on everything they need for back-to-school.
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Nearly 27% of Americans perform shopping activities with their phone. Respondents use their mobile phones while shopping to:
Search or find shopping information including a specific store (66%);
Find product information or reviews (50%);
Identify the best price (42%) and discounts (39%).
Make purchases (39%);
Share shopping ideas with others (22%).
While men and women are as likely to use a mobile phone to facilitate shopping, men are more likely to complete a purchase with their phone (14% compared to 7%).
37% of mobile phone users are using their mobile phones to help them make shopping decisions by interacting with friends and family in one or more of the following ways – by texting about purchases, sharing photos of purchases under consideration, and talking with others while shopping. Younger consumers age 18-34 are significantly more likely to use their phones to assist in purchase decisions.
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Mobile Phones and Smart Shopping

While most Americans plan to shop for the holidays this year, many are already planning cautious spending:
52% planning to spend the same as last year;
30% planning to spend less;
Only 10% planning to spend more than last year.
Younger Americans, aged 18-34, are more likely to increase their spending this year compared to older age groups – for example, adults aged 55+ (15% compared to 6%).
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Holiday Spending Outlook

Methodology
MasterCard recently commissioned a Harris Poll® Interactive QuickQuery® survey of 2,554 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older examining consumer shopping attitudes and back-to-school shopping plans.
The respondent pool included1108 adults with at least one member of their household attending school in the fall.
The survey was conducted online from July 14, 2011 through July 18, 2011, and results were weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population.
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MasterCard: Back-to-School Spending Survey

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