Image courtesy of Skyler Ewing, Pexels
For Canadian parents heading into back-to-school season, Walmart remains the dominant destination for in-person shopping, while Amazon leads online, according to data from crowdsourcing platform Field Agent.
A survey of 714 Canadian parents with school-age children found that 91% plan to shop at Walmart for back-to-school needs. Dollarama followed at 66%, with Costco (61%), Real Canadian Superstore (46%) and Staples (44%) rounding out the top five.A survey of 714 Canadian parents with school-age children found that 91% plan to shop at Walmart for back-to-school needs. Dollarama followed at 66%, with Costco (61%), Real Canadian Superstore (46%) and Staples (44%) rounding out the top five.
Online, Amazon was the clear leader, selected by 79% of respondents, followed by Walmart at 36%.
Beyond price and convenience, reviews are also playing a significant role in purchase decisions. High customer ratings were the most important product consideration for 54% of respondents, followed by honest reviews (44%), detailed reviews or photos and videos (35%) and the overall number of reviews (32%).
Thirty-nine per cent of parents said social media plays a role in their back-to-school shopping journey while 30% said it has no influence on their purchases. Instagram led as the most influential platform at 44%, followed by Facebook (28%), TikTok (15%), YouTube (6%), Pinterest (3%) and Reddit (3%).
Instagram is the most influential platform (44%), followed by Facebook (28%) and TikTok (15%), followed by YouTube (6%) and Pinterest and Reddit (3%).
Brand switching was largely deal-driven by the factors below.
Food
Food is another major BTS consideration, with 92% of parents planning to pack lunches for their children. Fresh fruit is the most common item, packed by 86% of respondents, followed by protein or granola bars (78%), water (76%), sandwiches or wraps with meat (75%) and crackers, cheese or meat kits (71%).
Walmart is the preferred destination for lunch supplies at 60%, followed by Costco (56%), Real Canadian Superstore (49%), No Frills/Maxi (42%) and FreshCo (30%).
Other back-to-school items
Walmart also leads when it comes to back-to-school clothing, selected by 57% of parents, followed by Costco (46%), Winners (44%), Old Navy (41%) and Sport Chek (33%). Overall, 83% said they were very likely to purchase back-to-school apparel or footwear.
For cosmetics, Sephora leads the category at 61%, followed by Shoppers Drug Mart (57%), Walmart (56%), Amazon (48%) and Superstore (32%). E.l.f., L’Oréal and Maybelline were the most-cited brands, while more than nine in 10 respondents said they were open to trying new brands.
Toothpaste (76%), shampoo (74%) and deodorant (72%) were the most commonly purchased hygiene products, followed by conditioner (64%) and liquid soap or lotion (54%).
