Top 10 Items On Community Members Back To School Lists

It’s time to gear up for back-to-school and with the help of Social Fabric community members, we compiled a list of the 10 items you should have on your list for elementary, middle and high schools and college. With the fabulous sales going on right now, it’s a great time to stock up and save money!

Pre-K to 5th grade must-haves include most of the basic school supplies that are among the most affordable.

1. Crayons
2. Glue
3. Pencils
4. Backpack / messenger / tote bag
5. Shoes
6. School clothes
7. Markers
8. Notebooks
9. Scissors
10. Pencil box / case

Top items for grades 6 to 8 focus less on arts & crafts, with paint, crayons and construction paper have few, if any, votes.

1. Pencils
2. Notebooks
3. Pens
4. Binder / tabs / filler paper
5. Folders
6. Shoes
7. Highlighters
8. Backpack / messenger / tote bag
9. School clothes
10. (tie) Flash drive / calculator

In high school, we see a need for technology coming out more, with items like calculators and flash drives being on many lists.

1. Notebooks
2. Pens
3. Pencils
4. Binder / tabs/ filler paper
5. Folders
6. School clothes
7. Shoes
8. & 9. (tie) Calculator & Backpack / messenger / tote bag
10. Flash drive

In college, the majority of respondents selected that their child was entering their freshman year. Not surprisingly, money for books was the number one item on 67% of respondents’ answers.

1. Money for books
2. Standard school supplies such as pens, pencils, notebooks & desk supplies
3. Backpack / messenger bag / tote bag
4. & 5. & 6. & 7. (tie) snacks/food & clothing & toiletries & laundry items
8. & 9. (tie) shoes & spending money
10. (tie) calculator, room decor, kitchen supplies, printer, basic medicine supplies

An overwhelming majority (83%) of respondents will be doing their back-to-school shopping for basic items like pens, pencils and backpacks at Walmart, while Target was next in line, with 75% of of respondents saying they’d be purchasing some items there. Most of our community will also be shopping at Walmart for small appliances for back-to-school, but Target was the preferred place to shop for back-to-school clothing.

Price is a big factor when shopping for back-to-school, with 2/3 of our community saying it’s the most important factor when determining where to shop for supplies, and with most people spending between $50 to $100 per student, it’s easy to see why this would matter.

What back-to-school items are on your Top 10 list?

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