However, the ever-increasing need for technology in the classroom has made laptops, tablets and even smartphones a major component of each student’s shopping list.
Computer manufacturers and retailers typically increase their supplies for this time period so that they can fully capitalize on the needs of people ranging from preschool to graduate school. Initial sales reports indicate that this particular year has so far been much lighter than usual, and this will inevitably lead to even better deals for consumers.
In other words, even if you are not shopping for a student, this just might be the perfect time to score an unexpectedly low price on technology-related products. To make things even better, you can use coupons and rebates to sweeten many existing deals.
IHS Global Insight has indicated that retailers view their back-to-school sales opportunity as second only in importance to the holiday shopping season. Therefore, the back slide in sales that has been projected by a recent Deloitte survey has most likely caused many retail executives to lose some sleep.
CBS News reports that last year, U.S. consumers spent an average of $1,766 on back-to-school items for each child from K-12. Unfortunately for retailers who heavily bank on this time of year, the projection for 2015 has fallen to less than $1,750.
The Deloitte survey also discovered that the usage of smartphone apps has become more important than ever for individuals who are looking for information that can help them make informed back-to-school purchasing decisions. In 2011, 35 percent of respondents turned to social media for some assistance.
In just four years, this number has dropped sharply to only 10 percent, according to the Chicago Tribune. Smartphone apps are believed to be the major cause of this quick decline, and they can also help people stay more on top of sales, coupons and rebates.
Mobile-friendly discount sites, including Coupofy, Coupons.com and Freebie Shark, are another resource consumers are utilizing to keep their expenses down and weed out products that do not fit into their budget. Bitcoin users are also likely to buy back-to-school items from companies that accept their alternative payment method.
This has caused Coupofy and other forward-thinking sites to begin building their merchant list around companies that accept Bitcoins and PayPal. Interestingly, the discount site recently determined that sheets are the number one item purchased with Bitcoins.
However, the slowly building list of colleges that accept Bitcoins may have an impact on this year’s back-to-school shopping season. After all, Bitcoin purchases do not generate fees for credit card companies, but they do help consumers save money.
According to Time, Laptops will be one of the most common back-to-school purchases this year, with 18 percent of students receiving a new one. There are numerous deals available, but keep in mind that the longevity of the laptop should be one of your prime concerns.
Research indicates that the average American consumers strives to get up to five years out of each computer purchase. College students are more likely to get three years out of their new laptop, though, and this is primarily due to cost cutting measures. Remember that it is no longer easy to upgrade components such as RAM, so you need to invest in the best quality product that your budget will allow if you want it to last.
Regardless of whether you are a student, parent or a consumer who has no children, the lagging back-to-school season is the ideal time to look into stocking up on certain key items. If this lull in sales continues, you can expect to see prices continuously dropping throughout the next month as retailers attempt to recoup some of their losses.
