Is there a new trend for back-to-school season? Google reveals the popular trends

According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in the fall of 2020 , there are approximately 73 million students in the United States, from kindergarten to college , accounting for more than one-fifth of the U.S. population, which also means that the consumer market for basic necessities for this group is huge .

With the back-to-school season approaching, according to the latest survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics , American families with elementary to high school students will spend nearly $37 billion during this year's back-to-school season , with an average household expenditure of $864.

Additionally, total projected spending by households with college students will reach approximately $74 billion , $3 billion more than in 2021 .

Recently, Google released the latest search trend report on consumption trends during the back-to-school season in the United States .

The report pointed out that as the back-to-school season approaches, searches for "back-to-school supplies" on Google have increased by 80% in the past month ; and because inflation remains high, searches for "back-to-school discounts" have increased by 40%.

In recent years, the "retro style" has become more and more popular. In this year's back -to-school shopping season , " retro " content has become the most popular consumer content for American students, and has penetrated into all categories of back-to-school supplies, including clothing and school supplies.

Google reports that the Y2K aesthetic is one of the hottest shopping trends this season, with butterfly hairpins, trucker hats and inflatable dormitory furniture returning to the trend lists of American students after many years .

At the same time, school supplies are also pursuing "retro". According to the report, American students tend to prefer the style of 2000 when searching for study tools such as folders, pencil cases, notebooks and three-ring binders .

In the past month, searches for backpacks with bows and metal elements , which are iconic fashion trends in the 2000s , have increased significantly. Google searches for "bow backpacks" have surged by 190%, "metal backpacks" by 90%, and "butterfly hairpins" by 80% . Searches for "retro backpacks" have hit an all-time high .

Translucent and transparent accessories were also a signature style of the 2000s. Now, the style is trickling down to school supplies. In the past month, searches for “transparent sticky notes” have increased by more than 250% , and searches for “transparent lunch boxes” and “transparent pencil cases” have also increased.

When searching for back-to-school apparel, U.S. consumers have seen a 650% increase in keyword searches for “loose jeans outfit,” and there have also been significant increases in searches for “claw clips,” “crocheted tops,” and “trucker hats.” Google searches for “baby t-shirts” have increased 40% in the past month.

In terms of dormitory decoration , consumer interest in content such as "Y2K room decoration" ( 80% ), "smiley face carpet" ( 15% ), "inflatable furniture" ( 10% ), and "luminous stars on the ceiling" has increased significantly .  

In addition to Google, Tik Tok also has a high level of interest in back-to-school products. The topic #backtoschool has been viewed more than 11.3 billion times, and product sharing under topics such as #backtoschoolhaul and #BacktoschoolOutfit is endless.

As the back-to-school season approaches, although the e-commerce market has been weak this year due to various market crises, multiple reports show that consumers' demand for back-to-school products is still increasing, and products that meet market demand are still resilient . Sellers must keep up with the market and make adjustments to product selection, or they may be able to achieve their profit growth goals.

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