July 31, 2021 Issue, Page 25 of 32

Page Text

July 31, 2021 1B Elk City - Western Oklahoma Christian School - Merritt - Canute - Sayre How school sh opping has changed yt Back-to-school shopping COVID-19, there figures to be their supplies, which means sales have long been indica- some lingering effects of the local brick and mortar shops tors that the summer vacation pandemic during the upcoming should increase their web pres- season is coming to a close. school year. That could affect ence and digital shopping capa- Students and their parents which school supplies fami- bilities to reach online shop- may visit area stores or browse lies buy in the weeks to come. pers. This includes omnichannel online looking for items to Here's a look at some of the fulfillment, such as buy online make the coming school year a latest trends, and pickup in store (BOPIS) success. Those lists have looked + A shift from physical stores: options. similar for decades, but shop- According to data from IBM's + Reassessment of what's ping for school supplies in the U.S. Retail Index, the pandemic essential: The pandemic may pandemic era may prove to be a has accelerated a shift away have changed which items con- sumers consider essential. For unique experience. from physical stores to digital ‘Though hundreds of millions shopping by about five years. example, clothing became less significant as a greater number of adults and adolescents have It's likely that school shoppers of students were enrolled in now been vaccinated against will turn to the internet for virtual learning, Back-to-school shoppers may purchase less dlothing and focus more on tech items, among others. wait Traditional supplies be- come less necessary: In 2020, Deloitte forecasted that a shift in preferences and intentions would result in parents buying fewer traditional supplies, such as notebooks and office sup- plies, as they chose to invest in digital resources to supplement children’s education. That shift likely will continue into this school year. - Support for local retailers: Community spirit grew in the early days of the pandemic and continues now. Many people prefer to shop in locally owned stores. Eighty percent of cus- tomers surveyed feel more or as connected to their communi- ties, according to the business industry consultant company Accenture. - Customers are trying new brands and products: Shoppers are trying new products out of curiosity as well as necessity. Back-to-school shopping may 2017 W. 3rd, Elk City include novel brands and other 1300 S. Main St, Elk City items that may not have been readily purchased in years past. Great Plains Bank 580-225-2265 Back-to-school shopping may continue to look abit different than in previous years, spawn- MEMBER FDIC & gpbankok.com ing trends that may ultimately become the new normal.