Ebates Back to School Survey: Buying Name-Brand Clothes and Shopping on a Budget Top Stressors for Parents and Teens
Teens List “Dorky Clothes” and “Old Cellphones” as Most Embarrassing
Purchases Made by Parents
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Parents and teens may not agree on much, but they agree that clothes
shopping together is an unhappy chore. According to a new survey
conducted on behalf of Ebates,
a leader and pioneer in cash back shopping and subsidiary of the global
internet services company Rakuten, both parents and teens anticipate
that they will feel the most tension when shopping for clothing together
this back to school season.
The national survey, conducted online by Propeller Insights on behalf of
Ebates in June 2016, was fielded among 1,024 adults and 501 teens. In
terms of general back to school shopping stress, for parents, it’s
money; for teens, it’s not being able to find the stuff they want:
| What adults dread most about back to school shopping | Percent who said this | What teens dread most about back to school shopping | Percent who said this | |||
| 1. Not being able to afford everything | 46 percent | 1. Not being able to find what I need | 60 percent | |||
| 2. Not being able to find what I need | 45 percent | 2. Not agreeing with my parent | 43 percent | |||
| 3. Waiting in line | 44 percent | 3. Not being able to afford everything | 43 percent |
“For the third year in a row, our annual back to school survey shows
that being frugal is a top concern for parents,” said Kevin H. Johnson,
CEO of Ebates Inc. “At Ebates, we want to minimize the stress of back to
school shopping, making the experience as easy and affordable as
possible. Back to school shoppers can use Ebates.com to find the best
deals on all the hot items on their shopping list in time for the first
day of school while earning cash back in the process.”
Both parents and teens anticipate the most tension when shopping for
stylish name-brand clothing (52 percent), off-brand clothing essentials
(20 percent) and technology (16 percent) this back to school season.
This tension around clothes shopping may be due to the fact that a full
half of teens (50 percent) admitted to feeling embarrassed by a
clothing-related purchase their parents made last year.
Most embarrassing thing your parents bought last year for back to
school:
- Dorky clothes, gym clothes or shoes – 50 percent
- An old cell phone – 20 percent
- New glasses – 11 percent
- A rolling backpack – 9 percent
- Cooler lunchbox – 7 percent
Communication is key
While navigating the careful negotiations of back to school shopping,
there are a few sayings that parents and teen are not looking forward to
hearing.
Parents are dreading these classics:
- “I have to have it—literally everyone has one.” – 49 percent
- “I promise I won’t ask for anything else.” – 45 percent
- “My teacher told me we need one.” – 42 percent
Teens, meanwhile, are getting eye rolls ready for these:
- “We can’t afford that one. Let’s get this one instead.” – 50 percent
- “Don’t you already have one of those?” – 44 percent
- “You don’t have an unlimited budget. Spend it wisely.” – 24 percent
Taking the edge off of the stress
The survey also asked parents how they planned to ease the stress of
back to school shopping. Half of parents (50 percent) say they will skip
the chaos of the mall and shop online, and another 30 percent will
indulge in some retail therapy:
| How will you make back to school shopping less stressful? | Percent of Americans who said this | |
| 1. Shop online | 50 percent | |
| 2. Buy some clothes or accessories for myself | 30 percent | |
| 3. Plan a weekend getaway without the kids | 18 percent | |
| 4. Plan a date night with my partner | 18 percent | |
| 5. Take a long, hot bath | 15 percent |
From now until August 31, back to school shoppers can receive up to
double cash back on select retailers via Ebates. For more details on
specific retailers participating in the special offer, visit Ebates.com.
Shoppers can also download the free Ebates.com app at Google Play and
the AppStore.
About Ebates
Ebates rewards consumers with cash back on purchases while also
providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, promotions and
special deals, including free shipping, at over 2,000 retailers. Free
membership allows consumers to shop online at their favorite retailers
while earning a percentage of every purchase they make, paid quarterly
in the form of a “Big Fat Check” or through PayPal. From niceties to
necessities, members of Ebates benefit from incentives at top-name
merchants for everything from furniture to fashion and appliances to
airfare. Because shopping with Ebates is hassle-free—with no rebate
forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem—the site supports a
strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the
world.
Ebates is a registered trademark of Ebates Performance Marketing,
Inc. Rakuten is a registered trademark of Rakuten, Inc. Google Play is a
registered trademark of Google Inc. App Store is a registered trademark
of Apple Inc. PayPal is a registered trademark of PayPal, Inc.
Contacts
Ebates
Priti Khare
pr@ebates.com
