Philly kids have plenty of sway over back-to-school spending
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Philly parents are back-to-school bargain hunters, but their kids often persuade them to splurge on those must-have new kicks or fun tech toys, per a new Deloitte survey.
Why it matters: Philly parents consistently spend much more on back-to-school shopping than the national average, the consulting firm found — driven partly by unplanned purchases they'll make while hunting for deals.
The big picture: Back-to-school spending in Philly has remained relatively stagnant over the last three years, reaching a three-year high of $761 in 2024, per the report.
- Parents are expecting to spend only $37 less this year, but that's still well above the national average of $557.
- More than half of Philly parents' back-to-school spending is expected to happen this month.
How it works: Deloitte surveyed 424 Philly parents who have at least one child attending school this fall about their spending habits, with a margin of error of ±5 percentage points.
Zoom in: Nearly half of Philly parents surveyed were considered "hyper-value seekers," compared with 31% nationally. Those are people who adopt at least four money-saving strategies, such as buying cheaper brands or shopping at more affordable stores.
- 81% of Philly parents said they would take advantage of summer promotions to save some money.
Yes, but: A lot of the money saved from bargain shopping is put toward other unplanned buys, the survey found.
- 66% of parents say they end up making impulse buys — often at their kids' urging.
Zoom in: Parents acknowledged being deeply influenced by their kids' back-to-school wish lists.
- Nearly 60% of parents said their kids push them to splurge on these must-have items, whether they were new sneakers, backpacks or hot first-day outfits.
The intrigue: Parents who use search engines and social media to help them shop usually spend almost $200 more on back-to-school supplies than those who don't.
The bottom line: If you're a Philly kid, a little pleading with mom and dad is likely to go a long way.