A101 survey finds 76% do back-to-school shopping, what should retailers stock?
In a back-to-school survey commissioned by A101, one of Türkiye’s largest discount grocery chains, 76% of respondents say they always do back-to-school shopping, 74% plan to buy stationery and 66% plan to buy shoes or sneakers (Perakende.org, 21 September 2026). 44% say they follow campaigns and discounts more closely, and 40% compare prices. The survey ran online with 500 people on 18-20 August 2026.
What it means for you: the school basket does not sit on one shelf, it runs across the whole store. Stationery, shoes and the lunchbox are on the same shopper’s list in the same season. That shopper compares prices and watches for campaigns. The retailer who builds stock and campaign timing around this sees the season at the till.
What does A101’s back-to-school survey show?
It shows that school shopping is no longer limited to stationery. Most respondents do seasonal shopping, and shoes and lunchbox items are on the list too. Volkan Yıldız, a member of A101’s executive board, says the results show “school shopping is not limited to stationery” (our translation).
What does A101’s back-to-school data mean for retailers?
The school season is now a basket, not a category. A grocery that sells stationery can also sell lunchbox items. A shoe store can catch the same shopper with a stationery tie-in. The lunchbox items respondents plan to buy are fruit juice 76%, sandwich ingredients 56%, water 55%, milk 52% and cake 51%.
Which retailers does back-to-school demand affect, and how?
It affects grocery, stationery, shoe and children’s clothing retailers at the same time. In autumn 2026, grocery and apparel retailers across Türkiye sell to the same shopper in the same season. The winner is whoever can cover more of the basket in one stop.
When should retailers set up school-season stock and campaigns?
Before the season starts. A101’s fieldwork ran on 18-20 August 2026, and respondents were asked about their shopping plans at that point. October 2026 is the time to pull this season’s sales data and get ready for next season’s order.
How do you reach the price-comparing back-to-school shopper on digital channels?
By making your prices visible. 40% of respondents compare prices, and that comparison can happen before anyone sets foot in a store. A retailer whose campaign lives only inside the store misses the chance to make that list. You can find the chain that commissioned the survey on A101’s corporate website.
What should a retailer do with school-season data this week?
This week, build the season’s closing table. One page with sales of stationery, shoes and lunchbox items, campaign impact and leftover stock is enough. We build seasonal campaigns and digital announcement plans together with businesses; our digital marketing agency page explains how that work runs.
Quick Summary
- In a survey commissioned by A101, 76% of respondents say they always do back-to-school shopping (Perakende.org, 21 September 2026).
- 74% plan to buy stationery and 66% shoes or sneakers (Perakende.org).
- 44% say they follow campaigns more closely and 40% compare prices (Perakende.org).
- The survey rests on an online sample of 500 people, limited to the ABC1C2 group.
- The lesson for retailers is to plan the school season as a basket, not a category.
Short Glossary
- CAWI
- CAWI is the abbreviation used for the survey method in which respondents answer questions online on their own.
- ABC1C2
- ABC1C2 is the classification used in research to describe upper and middle socioeconomic groups by income and education.
- Average basket
- Average basket is the metric used to measure the average value of a shopping trip by dividing total sales by the number of receipts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Next Step
If you want to build your school-season stock and campaign plan on data, fill in the consult your expert form.
Sources: Perakende.org, 21 September 2026 · A101 corporate website · TCMB, Inflation Data. You can also visit our retail page, where we interpret the retail agenda for you.
Updated: October 2026
Sık Sorulan Sorular
The survey used an online self-completion method (CAWI) with 500 women and men. It covered Türkiye’s NUTS-1 regions, ages 18-55, the ABC1C2 socioeconomic group and people who do grocery shopping every month. It does not say whether respondents are parents.
The sample is 500 people and limited to one socioeconomic band. Saying “76% of parents in Türkiye” does not fit the data. The report also does not name the research firm that ran the fieldwork.
Of those who do back-to-school shopping, 35% count A101 among the places they prefer to shop. Since A101 commissioned the survey, this figure is a company statement. There is no comparison with rival chains, so it should not be read as market share.
Juice, milk and cake are repeat purchases rather than a one-off. Unlike a single stationery trip, they can keep coming back to the till through the term. Small packs and multipacks of these items can move up in your shelf plan.
A shopper who follows campaigns and compares prices looks at the basket total, not one item. So a school basket bundle makes more sense than cutting the price of a single product. It also protects your average basket, the average value of a single receipt.
According to the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB), annual consumer inflation was 31.51% in August 2026 and 29.73% in September 2026. Seasonal shopping happens in a high-inflation setting. To separate turnover growth from real growth, see our piece on how to measure real growth.
The grocery that puts stationery and lunchbox items on the same shelf, in the same campaign, gains. A neighborhood grocery near a school can turn lunchbox items into steady daily sales. A shoe store that enters the season with stock early does not lose the shopper who finds their size on the shelf.
The small shop that sells only stationery struggles. A shopper comparing prices may choose to pick up stationery inside the grocery basket. Notebooks and bags that do not sell by the end of the season just sit on the shelf.
Snack and drink suppliers and regional wholesalers feel it indirectly. When demand for small packs rises in school weeks, delivery plans have to change with it.
Pull weekly sales, campaign-period sales and leftover stock at SKU level for stationery, shoes and lunchbox items. That table shows which campaign grew the basket and which one only ate into margin.
Stationery is bought once; the lunchbox gets packed again and again. Keep stock turnover high on juice, milk and cake, and do not let the shelf go empty.
First the one-off items like stationery and shoes, then ongoing offers on lunchbox items. This order pulls the price-comparing shopper into the store at the start of the season and keeps them coming back.
Post your school-season campaign on your Google Business Profile and refresh your product photos. A shopper searching “stationery near me” or “kids’ sneakers” then sees your opening hours and campaign on the same screen.
A shopper who follows campaigns more closely may start looking for them before the season. Ads and social posts should go live before the in-store campaign. For a view from another sector on building a channel mix, see our piece on TAB Gıda’s digital channel share.
Count unsold stationery and bags by unit. You can keep them on a separate shelf for mid-term needs or fold them into a bundle offer. Decide based on price and storage cost.
Compare school-week sales of juice, milk and cake with the weeks before. If sales rose, lock in your small-pack order for the term. If the shelf is empty, customers are walking out.
Write down in one list which campaign grew the basket, which item sold out early and which one stayed on the shelf. That list is the starting point for next season’s order and campaign calendar.
Put lunchbox items forward next to stationery. In the survey, juice, sandwich ingredients, water, milk and cake are among the most planned items.
No. The survey rests on an online sample of 500 people, and it does not say whether respondents are parents.
Before the season starts. Pulling this season’s sales and leftover stock data now lets you go into next season’s plan ready.