Office Depot’s 3rd Annual Back-to-School Survey Provides Insights Into Teachers’ and Parents’ Attitudes on the Back-to-School Season

Many Parents Have Already Started Back-to-School Shopping

Teachers Plan To Spend $320 Of Their Own Money To Set Up Their Classrooms

Kids may not want to hear it, but the back-to-school season has started even earlier than usual this year. According to Office Depot’s Third Annual Back-to-School Survey, 58% of parents are looking forward to the new school year and 2 in 3 teachers report they even miss their classroom during the summer.

In the new survey of 1,000 parents of kids 5-17 and 1,000 K-12 teachers, 66% of parents are anticipating this school year will be better than last year, yet half of parents remain concerned about being able to afford the school supplies they would like to buy for their children.

The survey also found that 39% of parents planned to start back-to-school shopping before July. On average, parents say they set aside $225 with 5% of parents planning to shop online only and 95% to shop both online and in stores.

Teachers on the other hand said they plan to spend about $320 of their own money to set up their classrooms for the 2023-2024 school year.

This year, teachers said their classroom’s priority needs are basic supplies like notebooks and pencils (37%) and organization and storage solutions (23%).

“While it seems like summer break has just started, the reality is that parents and teachers are already looking forward to and planning for the next school year,” said Kevin Moffitt, president of Office Depot. “Starting back-to-school shopping earlier means more time to find the right products at the right prices. And parents clearly see the value of shopping in stores so they can interact with products and get the support they need from in-store associates.”

The survey found that the average teacher thinks about the upcoming school year eight times during summer break, with 45% sharing that it comes to mind even more often. And more than a quarter are still in “education mode” during the summer, saying that part of their break will be dedicated to planning and decorating their classroom for next year (27%) and recertifying their educator credentials (22%).

Teachers said that they can’t wait to help a new set of students learn and grow (47%) and find new and creative ways to teach material (39%) during the 2023-2024 school year.

“It’s important to support teachers and set them up for success by offering them programs, creative solutions and ways to save, to help them inspire their students and unlock their full potential,” said Moffitt.

Now through Saturday, Sept. 30, teachers with a free Office Depot® OfficeMax® Rewards membership can earn 30% back in bonus rewards on a qualifying in-store purchase. To redeem this in-store offer, teachers should present a valid teacher ID, Rewards Member ID and coupon at checkout. Visit officedepot.com/rewardsoffers for the coupon.

Success is in session not only for teachers, but also for parents and students preparing for the 2023-2024 school year. From trendy new supplies and organizational solutions to functional furniture, classroom décor and more, visit officedepot.com/backtoschool and Office Depot and OfficeMax stores to help kick the new school year into gear with savings available throughout the back-to-school season.

Survey methodology

This random double-opt-in survey of 1,000 parents of kids 5-17 and 1,000 K-12 teachers was commissioned by Office Depot between May 17 and May 29, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

About Office Depot

Office Depot, LLC, an operating company of The ODP Corporation, is a leading specialty retailer providing innovative products and services delivered through a fully integrated omnichannel platform of Office Depot and OfficeMax retail stores and an award-winning online presence, OfficeDepot.com, to support the productivity and organization of its small business, home office and education clients. Office Depot is committed to enabling its clients’ success, strengthening local communities and providing equal opportunities for all. For more information, visit officedepot.com, download the Office Depot app on your iPhone or Android and follow @officedepot on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, LLC. OfficeMax is a trademark of OMX, Inc. ODP and ODP Business Solutions are trademarks of ODP Business Solutions, LLC. Veyer is a trademark of Veyer, LLC. Varis is a trademark of Varis, Inc. Any other product or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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