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Twenty million students across the US will be heading to college this fall, spending $900 (on average) on items for school. As of August, 40% of students have done Back-to-College (BTC) shopping, earlier than previous years. MRY polled 500 college students nationwide about their shopping activity so far this year. Here are a few take aways:
1) Social Media – Second Only to In-Person Conversation:
As of August, 65% of students have had a conversation on Facebook about BTC shopping. For an indication of what they are talking about, read our study on how Facebook revolutionized the back-to-school journey. Get your copy here
2) Mobile – For Saving Money & Driving Retail Visits:
Shopping apps were used by 38% of all college students this fall. Like Moms, college students use their phones as shopping aids for saving money and curating shopping lists (35% of students created a shopping list on their phone). Evernote is their app of choice, used by 1/3 of all college students. With 94% of students buying items in-store (vs. only 20% on mobile), consider smartphones as your hook to reel them in at retail.
3) Students Foot The Bill, Feel The Pinch:
A tough economy has more than half of students (52%) footing the bill on purchases this year. This has students stressed, with nearly half 48% of all students worried about meeting daily expenses, and (44%) worried they won't be able to finish college due to financial reasons. If that wasn't enough, over half (55%) are worried there won't be able to find a job when they graduate.
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What are the most successful products this BTC season? We tracked dozens of items across several categories to report on the most sought-after products. As of August, 50% of all purchases are still on the table. While tablets, big screen TVs and gaming consoles are hot for the holidays, for BTC, students spend the majority of their hard-earned cash on items they absolutely need for school. Mandatory items include new laptops, printers, productivity software, and new clothes.
Students Shell Out For Essential Items:
• Laptop = 40% bought new, 36% plan to buy
• Productivity Software = 24% bought new, 29% plan to buy
• Credit Card = 35% signed up, 62% plan to buy
• Checking Account = 43% signed up, 42% plan to buy
• PayPal Account = 33% signed up, 34% plan to buy
• Streaming Media Service = 34% signed up, 25% plan to buy
• Fall Fashion = 61% bought clothes, $200 on average
Non-Essential Items / Brought From Home:
• Television = 55% will bring from home, 19% buying new
• Cell Phone = 77% will bring from home, 27% buying new
• Camera = 64% will bring from home, 24% buying new
• Game Console = 47% will bring from home, 10% buying
new
• Electric Shaver = 43% will bring from home, 11% buying
new
• Luggage = 47% will bring from home, 14% buying new
• Bike = 36% will bring from home, 10% buying new
What's Not In Demand:
• eReader = 9% bought one, 8% want one
• Netbook = 5% bought one, 8% want one
• Desktop = 8% bought one, 8% want one
• Google Wallet = 6% signed up, 18% want to sign up
• Joint Banking / Checking Account = 5% signed up, 7% want
to sign up
• Cable Only TV Packages = 10% want one
For more information on what items are in demand this year, email us at: newsletter@mry.com |
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Making brands shareable means creating lots of really cool content worth sharing. We do this every day at MRY, be it a viral video or an engaging post. Enjoy a taste of what we produce here at MRY by checking out our new sizzle reel!
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It's official ... Mr Youth is now MRY. Why the rebrand? We believe this more accurately represents who we are. While we pride ourselves on our Millennials expertise, our new name reflects the expanding role we play with our clients, taking the lead as a social media agency for leading global brands. Check out our new online home & social channels:
MRY.com
MRY on Tumblr
MRY on Facebook
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A few weeks ago we sent out a survey asking you (our loyal readers) to weigh in on the topics you’re interested in receiving insights on. In the coming months, we will be sending you the kind of fresh, relevant content that is in-line with what you asked for. Here are your top requests:
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Who you want to know:
#1 Young Professionals
#2 Millennials
#3 Multi Cultural |
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Industries you follow:
#1 Retail
#2 eCommerce
#3 Beverage |
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Topics you care about:
#1 Mobile & Location
#2 Emerging Trends & Tech
#3 Online WOM |
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Our team is constantly reading, sharing, and downloading articles and thought leadership from around the Internet. Below is a list of what's been circulating the office at MRY, flagged and filtered by our team. Enjoy!
Trends Driving Online
Back-To-School Shopping in
2012
What it's About: Three insights
about BTS, as published by
Shop.Org with insights From
Big Insight.
Why We Recommend: A quick
read on what's happening in
BTS for 2012.
Courting Today's Mobile
Consumer
What it's About: The latest
research on the rapidly evolving
landscape of today's mobile
consumer.
Why We Recommend: Nielsen's
research is refreshing, robust
and easily digestible.
Actionable insights abound in
this webinar.
Youth Culture - BTS Fashion
Trends
What it's About: A 60 second
overview into what's trending in
youth fashion.
Why We Recommend: Brought
to you by our friends at
FashionSnoops, their
newsletter is based on global
research into art, culture and
the convergence of fashion. |
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