Parents ‘expect to spend £85 on average in spring on children’s school supplies’

The majority of parents of young children and teenagers use the spring months to stock up on school supplies – often because their offspring have outgrown the “back to school” items they previously purchased, a survey has found.

Nearly four-fifths (78%) of people said they use springtime to top up on school items, according to the survey of 2,000 parents across the UK of children aged four to 16 years old.

Parents expect to spend £85 on average on school supplies over the spring months – with outgrown uniforms, shoes and stationary high on shopping lists, according to the research carried out for cashback website Rakuten.

Nearly a third (29%) of parents said they shop in spring to ease the financial pressure across the year.

Some spending is also driven by needing to buy specific items to use in the summer term, according to the research, carried out by Opinium in March.

Rakuten’s savings expert Bola Sol said: “Back to school shopping is no longer just a September moment.

“Parents are planning ahead, spreading the cost and making small, smart savings wherever they can. When budgets are tight, changing when you shop can be just as important as where you shop.”