Almost three quarters of Canadians report that inflation will have a bigger impact on back-to-school spend compared with last year, according to Field Agent’s Back to School 2024 Canadian Shopper Survey.

The survey polled more than 500 respondents, and it also found that more than 40% of respondents reported they plan to do their shopping earlier, perhaps as a way to hunt for deals. Field Agent numbers also reveal that 42% of respondents plan on spending more than they did last year. Meanwhile, 39% will spend roughly the same as they did a year ago on back-to-school, with 20% saying they will spend less.

The top five planned purchase items are footwear (90%), basic supplies (87%), clothes (84%), food or packed lunches (81%) and backpacks (71%).

Of those surveyed, 91% report they will visit Walmart for their shopping needs, followed by Dollarama (66%) Costco (59%), Superstore (46%) and Staples (41%). For back-to-school apparel, Walmart is the number one shopping destination selected by survey respondents (61%), beating out Old Navy (49%) and Costco (47%).

For packed school lunches, Walmart is again top of the heap, chosen by 63% of respondents, beating out Costco (55%) and Real Canadian Superstore (52%).

Unsurprisingly, Amazon is the top choice for online back-to-school shopping (71%) followed by Walmart (31%).

For back-to-school make-up purchases, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmapix is the top spot (59%), above Sephora (57%) and Walmart (55%). Elf Cosmetics and L’Oréal Paris co-claim the top brand slots (44%), followed by Maybelline (42%), Covergirl (39%) and NYX (35%).

The numbers reveal that 68% of respondents will most likely obtain school supplies through online or in-app ordering for package delivery, followed by 45% for in-store or curbside pickup. Star rating is the most important driver of purchase (54%), topping honest unbiased reviews (43%), and detailed or descriptive reviews (42%). Discounting is the primary brand switch driver (87%), followed by positive online ratings or reviews (57%).

The sustainability of back to school supplies is “moderately important” to 43% of respondents, “slightly important” to 29% and “very important” for 13%.

Lastly, Instagram is the most influential platform to spur purchase decisions (41%), ahead of Facebook (28%) and TikTok (17%).