Back-to-School Survey Reveals Kids Want to Return to Class With Latest Tech Devices, but Parents Have Other Ideas

RetailMeNot.ca survey shows parents' budgets focused on new clothing and school supplies

TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2013 /CNW/ -Smartphones, tablets, Ultrabooks and MP3 players—the list of back-to-school technology must-haves keeps getting longer. And though kids are desperate to have the latest devices, they have a tough road ahead when it comes to convincing their parents to spend the extra cash.

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Of the parents polled in a new RetailMeNot.ca (www.retailmenot.ca) survey, only 7 per cent say they expect to spend most of their back-to-school budget on electronic devices, with clothing and footwear topping the shopping list for 60 per cent of respondents.

Overall, 52 per cent of parents polled say they expect to spend under $250 this season to get their daughters ready for school. Boys are perceived to be a little less expensive, with 59 per cent of parents saying they will keep spending under $250.

Nearly half (45 per cent) of parents polled expect their kids to push for tech devices to top back-to-school shopping lists, though that number skews toward boys, with 51 per cent parents reporting that their sons favor technology. Parents expect their girls, on the other hand, to place a higher priority on fashion, with 48 per cent expecting their daughters to prefer clothing compared with 35 per cent expecting a preference for new devices.

"We know kids are now using the back-to-school season as another opportunity to lobby for updated electronics," says Josh Harding, vice president of global operations for RetailMeNot, Inc. "This is squeezing budgets even more. The good news is that electronics are highly competitive, so expect to find plenty of discounts both in-store and online."

The survey also revealed that when it comes to spending, most parents polled don't play favourites between sons and daughters. Of parents with both boys and girls, 63 per cent are planning to spend the same amount on each, while 32 per cent expect to spend more on their daughters.

Despite this expected spending equality, daughters are much better positioned to influence shopping decisions, as 64 per cent of parents surveyed say girls are more involved in back-to-school shopping, while less than 1 per cent said boys are more involved.

Other Canadian back-to-school findings:

• Hey big spenders: 16 per cent of Canadian parents polled expect to spend more than $400 on their son or daughter this fall;
• No more teachers, no more books: More than one in four (26 per cent) parents polled in Quebec expect to spend the most on school-mandated books, far exceeding the national average of less than one in 10 (8 per cent);
• Ontario parents see spending gap: 52 per cent of parents polled in Ontario expect to spend less than $200 on their sons, while only 39 per cent expect to spend less than $200 on their daughters to prepare them for the back-to-school season.

RetailMeNot.ca commissioned the back-to-school survey to identify trends and better meet the needs of Canadian parents and students. RetailMeNot.ca launched in June 2013.

Survey Methodology
From July 29th to July 31st, 2013, an online survey was conducted among 500 parents residing in Canada with kids under 18 years of age and attending school in September, and who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About RetailMeNot.ca.
RetailMeNot.ca (www.retailmenot.ca) is a new digital coupon site in Canada. Its mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience with retailers serving Canada. RetailMeNot.ca promotes digital coupons from thousands of retailers who do business with Canadians. RetailMeNot.ca is operated by RetailMeNot, Inc. (NASDAQ:SALE), the world's largest digital coupon marketplace.

Facebook: Facebook.com/RetailmenotCanada

Twitter: @retailmenotca

About RetailMeNot, Inc.
RetailMeNot, Inc. (www.retailmenot.com/corp/) operates the world's largest digital coupon marketplace. The company's websites and mobile apps enable consumers across the globe seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of digital coupons from retailers. RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced more than 450 million visits to its sites in 2012. The RetailMeNot, Inc. portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the largest digital coupon site in the United States; www.RetailMeNot.ca in Canada; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the largest digital coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; www.Actiepagina.nl, a leading digital coupon site in the Netherlands; Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.ma-Reduc.com, leading digital coupon sites in France; www.Poulpeo.com, a leading digital coupon site with cash back in France; and www.Deals2Buy.com, a leading discount offer site in North America.

Media contacts:

Christy Rabil
RetailMeNot, Inc.
512 777 2897 office
646 554 8873 mobile
[email protected]

Rachael Collier
Citizen Optimum
416 306 6641 office
416 995 1432 mobile
[email protected]

SOURCE: RetailMeNot, Inc.

http://www.retailmenot.ca

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