Australia’s Back to School (BTS) purchases are set to generate $2.5 billion in sales as students gear up to return to their classrooms. 

According to research by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan, about 5 million Australians (24 per cent) will spend an average of $512 on BTS products.

Of those polled, 44 per cent of Australians purchasing BTS indicated they would spend more than last year, 22 per cent said they would spend the same, and 34 per cent said they would spend less.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said the expected BTS purchases appear to be high as shops seek to build momentum to start the year.

“Back to School sales are important for retailers to build momentum after the Boxing Day period and springboard into the year ahead,” he said.

“The Back to School period is where we see retail trade ramp back up, as many Australians return from their holidays and prepare their kids for the school year.”

The 35-49-year age bracket is expected to account for $1.6 billion of the $2.5 billion in BTS spending.

About 14 per cent of individuals participating in the survey said they intend to spend more than $1000, while 10 per cent intend to spend less than $100.

The most popular purchases will be stationery (54 per cent of respondents), school uniforms (51 per cent), footwear (50 per cent), books (37 per cent), and lunch boxes or water bottles (26 per cent).

Further reading: Hitting the books: the importance of back-to-school for Aussie retailers