BACK-TO-SCHOOL
2015 CHEAT SHEET

$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Back-to-School
Back-to-College
BTS & BTC Combined Average Spending: 2005-2015
Average annual back-to-school spending has grown 42 percent over the last 10
years. This year, the average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
10 YEARS OF BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING
nrf.com/backtoschool

U.S. ECONOMY IS IMPACTING
FEWER SHOPPERS THIS YEARA survey-high 24 percent of back-to-school shoppers say the state of the
U.S. economy will not impact their shopping, up from 19 percent last year.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
14.9% 14.3%
13.9%
15.2%
19.5%
18.9%
23.6%
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Percent of back-to-school buyers who indicate that
the economy will not impact their spending decisions
nrf.com/backtoschool

WHERE WILL BACK-TO-SCHOOL
SHOPPERS SPEND THEIR DOLLARS?Discount stores will see the most back-to-school shoppers (62%),
though that’s the lowest market share in the survey’s 13-year history.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
-12.7%
9.1%
15.6%
-25.6%
-22.5%
Discount Store Clothing Store Online Drug Store Thrift Stores/
Resale Shops
Where are back-to-school shoppers spending their dollars?
(Percentage change over the last five years)
nrf.com/backtoschool

MOST OF SCHOOL SHOPPERS’ BUDGETS WILL
BE SPENT ON APPAREL AND ELECTRONICS
Back-to-school shoppers plan to spend an average of $630.
Most of that will be spent on apparel and electronics.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
$50.00
$100.00
$150.00
$200.00
$250.00
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Back-to-school spending by category: 2005-2015
Clothing and accessories
(excluding shoes)
Shoes
School supplies such as
notebooks, folders, pencils,
backpacks and lunchboxes
Electronics or computer-related
equipment such as a home
computer, laptop, handheld
organizer or calculator
nrf.com/backtoschool

-9.1% -10.1%
22.2%
43.8%
-0.9%
At least two months
before school starts
Three weeks to one month
before school starts
One-two weeks
before school starts
The week school starts After school starts
Percent change in respondents indicating when they will purchase: 2015 vs. 2010
MORE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SHOPPERS
ARE PLANNING TO PROCRASTINATE
30 percent of back-to-school shoppers will wait until one or two weeks before school starts to
begin shopping, up from 25 percent last year. Additionally, 37 percent of back-to-college shoppers
will start shopping three weeks to one month before school starts, up from 33 percent last year.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
nrf.com/backtoschool

STUDENTS OPEN THEIR WALLETS
FOR BACK TO SCHOOL
Students in grades K-12 have lost a little sway this year. Only 6 percent of families say all of their
back-to-school shopping decisions are influenced by their kids, down from 10 percent last year.
But that’s OK; teenagers and pre-teens will spend their own money.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
The average amount a teenager plans to
spend of their own money on back to school.
The average amount a pre-teen plans to
spend of their own money on back to school.
nrf.com/backtoschool

DORM RESIDENCY GROWS, AND SO
DOES SPENDING ON FURNISHINGS
31 percent of college students will live in a dorm room or college housing this year.
The average college family plans to spend $126 on dorm and apartment furnishings.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
$109.9
$90.9
$80.1
$96.9 $96.8 $100.3 $104.8 $96.7
$126.3
18.7%
18.0%
15.8%
18.8%
18.1%
25.9%
22.5%
23.9%
31.3%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Students will be living in (and spending on) dorm rooms
Average spend on dorm furnishings % of students planning to live in dorms
nrf.com/backtoschool

SHOPPERS CHOOSE, RETAILERS DELIVER
More than 90 percent of online back-to-college and school shoppers will take advantage
of free shipping, and almost half will buy online and pick up in store.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
Buy online,
pick up in store/
Ship to store
Expedited shipping Free shipping Reserve online Same-day delivery
Free shipping and buy online, pick up in store/
ship to store are the most popular offerings Back to School Back to College
48.4%
17.3%
92.1%
9.1% 10.2%
46.9%
15.5%
90.2%
6.9% 7.4%
nrf.com/backtoschool

K-12 VS COLLEGE
Tots and teens may require more supplies to start a school year, but
it’s the college shoppers that bring in the most business for retailers.
Source: 2015 NRF Back to School/College Spending Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics
$67
$207
$137
$986
$770
$899
$98
$197
$218
$662
$662
$630
School supplies
Electronics
Apparel
High school vs college freshman
High school vs college senior
Average spend
Average Spends
45%
48%
24%
56%
62%
30%
Shop at department stores
Shop at discount stores
Start shopping 1 – 2 weeks
before school starts
K–12 College
$43.1
$24.9
College
K-12
Total spend (in Billions)
nrf.com/backtoschool

Back to School/College $68
Mother's Day $21.2
Valentine's Day $18.9
Easter $16.4
Super Bowl $14.3
Father's Day $12.7
Halloween $7.4
St. Patrick's Day $4.6
Winter holidays
$616.1
TOTAL SPENDING(in Billions)
Second only to the winter holidays,
spending on back-to-school
and college means big
business for retailers
large and small.
Source: NRF consumer
surveys conducted by
Prosper Insights & Analysis.
nrf.com/backtoschool

HISTORICAL TRENDS:
A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2014
Driven by increased demand for electronics and school supplies, families with children in
grades K-12 planned to an average $669 on school items, up 5 percent from 2013.
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Average spend
per household
Total spend on
back-to-school
(in billions)
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
$560
$580
$600
$620
$640
$660
$680
$700
Average
spending per
household
Total spending on
back-to-school
(in billions)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
nrf.com/backtoschool

HISTORICAL TRENDS:
A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2013
After spending record amounts on new school supplies, apparel and electronics in 2012,
parents asked their children to reuse everything they could in 2013 to help save a few bucks.
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
$560
$580
$600
$620
$640
$660
$680
$700
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Average spend
per household
Total spend on
back-to-school
(in billions)
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$3
Average
spending per
household
Total spending on
back-to-school
(in billions)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
nrf.com/backtoschool

HISTORICAL TRENDS:
A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2012
Spending reached $690 on average in 2012, the highest amount in the survey’s history.
Two years of trimmed budgets and high levels of children entering grade school
contributed to this growth.
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
$560
$580
$600
$620
$640
$660
$680
$700
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Average
spending per
household
Total spending on
back-to-school
(in billions)
2012
nrf.com/backtoschool

HISTORICAL TRENDS:
A LOOK AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2011
A tough economy forced parents to tighten their budgets in 2011. Parents asked their children
to reuse what they could for the new school year to help save money.
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
$560
$580
$600
$620
$640
$660
$680
$700
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Average
spending per
household
Total spending on
back-to-school
(in billions)
2011
nrf.com/backtoschool

NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics’ Back-to-School Spending
Survey polls more than 6,000 consumers each year and
has a margin of error between +/- 1 to 1.3 percentage points.
nrf.com/backtoschool