Ebates.com, a pioneer and leader in online cash back shopping, announced the results of its 2014 Back to School Survey: sporty clothes, urban fashion, and junior hipster looks are top trends for back to school.
The countdown to the new school year is on, and the fall fashion forecast is calling for “Sporty/Casual,” “Urban Fashion,” and “Junior Hipster” back to school clothing styles for teens. Ebates.com, a pioneer and leader in online cash back shopping, announced the results of its 2014 Back to School Survey Aug. 6.
The survey found that nearly half (46 percent) of American teens are planning to wear “Sporty/Casual” clothing items such as sneakers, running shorts, and baseball caps when school starts. “Urban Fashion” is the second most popular back to school clothing style for young adults, with 38 percent choosing hoodies, saggy pants, long shirts, sporty hats, and athletic shoes for their signature look. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of teens identify as “Junior Hipsters,” and plan to sport trendy back to school outfits featuring neon jeans, Converse shoes, knee high socks, knit beanie hats, graphic T-shirts, and oversized glasses. “Preppy” (22 percent), “Fashionista” (21 percent), and “Bohemian/Hippie” (17 percent) are other popular back to school styles for teens this year.
Parents, Teens Plan to Buy Tech for Back to School
In addition to the latest clothing styles, nearly three-quarters of parents (67 percent) and most teens (82 percent) have tech products that are must-haves for today’s digital classrooms on their shopping lists. For parents, finding the right laptop is the most important tech decision they’ll make for back to school shopping, with 33 percent confirming that they plan to buy one for the student in their household this year. Teens are clamoring for lifestyle-oriented gadgets over actual learning tools; in fact, the Ebates survey discovered that the No. 1 back to school tech product for more than half of American teens (52 percent) is headphones, with smartphones (43 percent) following close behind on their shopping wish list.
Other top back to school tech products according to parents and teens include tablet computers and apps:
|
Top Back to School Tech Products for Parents |
Percent of Parents Who Said This |
Top Back to School Tech Products for Teens |
Percent of Teens Who Said This |
|
1. Laptop |
33 percent |
1. Headphones |
52 percent |
|
2. Headphones |
29 percent |
2. Smartphone |
43 percent |
|
3. Tablet |
29 percent |
3. Laptop |
36 percent |
|
4. Smartphone |
20 percent |
4. Apps |
26 percent |
|
5. Apps |
17 percent |
5. Tablet |
24 percent |
Traditional Classroom Supplies Still Considered Must-Haves
When it comes to their most important priorities for back to school shopping, 87 percent of parents and 68 percent of teens agree that traditional classroom items such as notebooks, folders, pens and pencils, and school clothes are at the top of the list. While other back to school staples like book bags or backpacks are also considered critical items by both parents and teens, the Ebates.com survey discovered that 1 in 10 parents (14 percent) include surprising must-haves like immunizations and new haircuts on their checklist.
“Parents and teens know they’ll need to buy important back to school staples for the classroom and have the latest fashions for fall outfits, and they also have strong opinions on what the hottest tech products are this year,” said Kevin H. Johnson, CEO of Ebates Inc. “Ebates can simplify the back to school shopping experience and make it easy, affordable, and fun for both parents and teens. By logging on to Ebates.com, families can find the best deals on the most popular headphones, laptops, smartphones, clothes, classroom supplies, backpacks, and more at over 1,600 retailers in time for the start of the school year.”
From now until Aug. 25, back to school shoppers can receive up to double cash back on select retailers via Ebates. For more details on specific retailers participating in the special offer, visit Ebates.com. Shoppers can also download the free Ebates.com app at Google Play and the App Store.
Survey Methodology
The national survey was conducted online by uSamp on behalf of Ebates.com in July 2014, and was fielded among 1,060 adults and 949 teens. This survey has a margin of error of 2.19 percent at 95% confidence. For complete survey methodology, including raw data and weighting variables, please contact Alessandra.Nagy@Grayling.com.
About Ebates.com
Ebates.com rewards consumers with cash back on purchases while also providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, promotions and special deals, including free shipping, at over 1,600 retailers. Free membership allows consumers to shop online at their favorite retailers while earning a percentage of every purchase they make, paid quarterly in the form of a “Big Fat Check” or through PayPal. From niceties to necessities, members of Ebates benefit from incentives at top-name merchants for everything from furniture to fashion and appliances to airfare. Because shopping with Ebates is hassle-free – no rebate forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem – the site supports a strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the world.
