Data: Parents up their back-to-school spend as tech purchases rise

Technology purchases in particular are on the rise following the increase in school-leaving age in 2015 to 18 years old and the increase in the number of millennial parents.

The research showed that of the 8% of parents who purchased computing equipment such as laptops or tablets for their children, the average spend for the 2015 back-to-school period was £276, far outstripping any other category, surging 73% from £159 in 2014.

Separate Mintel research showed that 70% of parents of under-18s believe that tablets are “effective entertainment and education tools for children”.

Mintel retail analyst Alice Goody said: “This is a growing area and we can see that parents are buying into more advanced devices and boosting the market.

“We think this will continue to rise as parents seek to meet demands of digital generation children. It’s definitely growing.”

She added that affluent, younger parents were more inclined to buy into the technology. Of younger parents who earned more than £50,000, the percentage who purchased tech rose to 13%, from the 8% average.

Mintel’s research also showed that parents spent just under £100 on uniforms, up 7.8% from the previous year.

It found that while 59% of parents were willing to shop around for a good deal, “schoolwear and shoes seem to be an area where parents are willing to spend”.

It highlighted that parents are willing to spend more on durable school uniforms: 64% of those with children aged between four  and five years old would spend more on stain-repellent clothing, and 63% would pay more for an adjustable fit.

Stationery was also a growing area, with Mintel finding that purchases peaked among parents of teenagers aged between 13- and 15-years-old.

It added: “For girls, in particular, stationery is often seen as a desirable or fashionable item and is something they can buy to express their own style at school. Specialists like Paperchase and new entrants Kikki K and Smiggle are fuelling demand for trendy stationery with their stylish back-to-school ranges.”