// Back-to-school spend expected to reach £1.7 billion this year
// School uniform & sportswear makes up for 76.4% of back-to-school spend
// Stationery & school accessories are expected to be the fastest-growing categories
Brits are expected to spend £1.7 billion on back to school items this year, with the market set to grow by 1.5 per cent year-on-year, according to new research.
School uniform and sportswear, which makes up for 76.4 per cent of back-to-school spend, is forecast to rise by 1.5 per cent this year, according to analytics firm GlobalData.
GlobalData said the athleisure trend is likely to contribute to this growth, as secondary-school children request items such as shoes, bags and sportswear from established retailers such as Nike and Adidas.
Meanwhile, stationery and school accessories are expected to be the fastest-growing categories in the market, up two per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively.
While GlobalData expects stationery to have the highest growth, this is slowing down as retailers such as Smiggle and Paperchase struggle on the UK’s high streets due to parents purchasing similar items from discount retailers.
GlobalData said many retailers launched their ranges earlier in the year to grab a greater share of consumer spend.
Amazon Prime Day, which took place on July 15 and 16, offered Prime members the opportunity to stock up on essentials and branded items at lower prices, as well as encouraging back to school shoppers to start purchasing earlier.
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