ccording to the report, spending includes about $2,325 per primary school child, and $4,212 per secondary student. Chief executive office and co-founder of Telegram – the parent company to stationary, office and lifestyle accessory brand Milligram – Scott Druce told Inside Retail that the back to school period is like a second Christmas, and requires just as much planning.  Ahead of the school year, he says that customers are stocking up on brand new stationery, especially diaries. “We see parents and kids getting all the essentials to get back to school, university students choosing the right tools to set them up for a successful year, and professionals wanting to get organised for the new work year ahead,” Druce said. “The traditional stationery products including diaries, notebooks and pens are always very popular, but this is also a time where customers like to invest in new lifestyle products to help them move through the world.  “We see a significant uplift in backpacks, drink bottles, and innovative tech tools and accessories.” Footwear brand Athletes Foot – which became the first retailer to launch on gaming app Roblox – has challenged itself to bring its fitting experience and in-store physical experience to the end consumer, which are often kids, during the key trading period.  General manager Ian Taunton pointed to the launch of its online game Fitopia on Roblox, as an innovative and engaging way of reaching that target audience. “During the back to school period, we’ve worked really closely with a few partners to develop an offering for the whole range of school kids,” he said. “Alpha, Asics, Ascent, New Balance have all partnered well, and we’re seeing strong market and consumer demand for Hoka,” Taunton said. Simple, fuss-free and cost effective Officeworks general merchandise manager Jim Berndelis has observed that more families are starting their back-to-school shop early this year – in some cases, during the Christmas period – to avoid the last minute rush for school supplies.  He contends that there has been a huge demand for big ticket technology items – a continued area of growth for Officeworks – as digital learning becomes more integrated in the classroom learning experience.  But, he says that every day essentials – including (but not limited to) pencil cases, exercise books, scrapbooks, erasers, glue, display folders and stationary are still top selling items. “One key trend we’re seeing is growing demand for more sustainable products. Families, teachers and students are making sustainable choices, and that doesn’t [necessarily] come at an increased price,” he said. “We’ve expanded the number of back to school products in our ‘greener choices’ range by 20 per cent in 2023, and the customer response has been strong.” He added that Officeworks are continuing to innovate in its product range, while prioritising value, to help parents save on their back-to-school shop. This, he says, is more important than ever, given the cost of living pressures being felt by families across the country. The brand has implemented a range of offers – such as its Bring Your Own Device program, which enables customers to navigate Officeworks’ tech section, as well as price beat guarantees and integrated marketing campaigns – to take some of the stress out of back to school shopping.  “We are always working to ensure that the back-to-school shop is as simple, fuss-free and cost-effective as possible,” Berndelis said. Looking ahead According to Taunton, a change in back-to-school shopping this year has been a return to previous fashion sensibilities.  For instance, he says that in the last couple of years, a more casual shoe was favoured. But, this year, there’s been a move back to formal shoes, as per school requirements. This, he explains, is in line with the pre-Covid mentality.  Meanwhile, Druce believes that Milligram has had a strong start to 2023, especially compared to the previous year, where customers weren’t in the right frame of mind to set themselves up for the new year due to the pandemic. He adds that parents, students, and professionals are willing to invest in quality products for the sake of productivity. “Our campaign is unique in that it is an extended marketing strategy to capture different customer’s needs at different milestones at the beginning of the year,” he said “We have seen a positive shift in customer mindset this year, with [many] customers actively planning and looking forward to the year ahead.”