FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2024
Contact: Bryan Wachter (775) 771-8969 | Bryan@RANNV.org
Nevada's Back-to-School Spending to Eclipse $525 Million
Electronics Continue to Lead in Education-Related Expenditures
Nevada familiesare poised to spend $525.1 million on back-to-school preparations this year, according to the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN). Compared to one year ago,total spending is down0.5percent.
RAN projects that$369.1 million will be spent on K-12 students, marking a 0.7 percent decrease fromlastyear. Electronics top the spending list at $130.5 million, followed by clothing andaccessories at $106.9 million, shoes at $71.9 million and school supplies at $59.8 million. Nationally, families with K-12 students are expected to spend $38.8 billion, with an averageof$874.68 per household, down 1.7 percent from last year’s $890.07, according totheNational Retail Federation (NRF).
For college students,ofwhich there are an estimated 114,000 enrolled in Nevada’s public and private institutions, RAN estimates total back-to-school expenditures of $156.1 million. Electronics againlead the spending at $41.1 million, followed by dorm and apartment furnishings at $22.0 million, clothing and accessories at $19.6 million, and food expensesat $17.1 million. Nationwide, the NRF projects college students’ spending to reach $86.6 billion, with anaverage of $1,364.75 per household which is down 0.2 percent from one year ago.
Clark County andWashoe County schools will start classes on August 12, while Nevada colleges, includingtheUniversity of Nevada campuses in Reno and Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada, begin on August 26.
In terms of shopping destinations, 57 percent of back-to-school shoppers and 50 percent of back-to-college shoppers are turning to online retail sites. Department stores are popular among 50 percent of K-12 shoppers and 35 percent of college shoppers. Other preferred locations include discount stores (47 percent for K-12 and 31 percent for college), clothing stores (42 percent for K-12), and electronics stores (23 percent for K-12). For college students, office supply stores (26 percent) and college bookstores (26 percent) are also favored.
