Back-to-School in Spain:
What Do Kids Want? What Will Parents Buy?

Kids are kids, and in Europe, the summer months are all about sandcastles and swimming. Manufacturers, however, are busily readying their stores for the start of the new academic year. In preparation for the onslaught of back-to-school sales, many manufacturers look to NPD’s Back-to-School service – because it tells manufacturers exactly how much back-to-school sales boost the bottom line, and it tracks June to October sales of backpacks, pencil cases, pens, pencils, and other academic necessities. The service is now available in Italy, France, and Spain, and expansion plans are in the works.

A look at Spain’s back-to-school season provides a window into the detail the service offers.

Kids’ Back-to-School Lists in Spain
Back-to-school product sales gradually increase throughout August, with sales peaking during the first two weeks in September. More than one-third of all sales of back-to-school items in Spain are made during that period. Throughout this peak time, backpacks are the biggest sellers, accounting for 84% of all value sales within the product set that NPD measures. Pencil cases are next, claiming 8% of the total value of the market, and the pens and pencils category ranks third, accounting for 7% market share in Spain. As sales of the other categories peak in early September and then rapidly decline, the pens and pencils category is more resilient – as October approaches, this category accounts for 17% of all value sales.

Spanish Students’ Top Back-to-School Licenses
Reebok, Nike, and adidas dominate the backpacks category in Spain, collectively taking 22% of all value sales; Reebok takes the lead. Barbie is the top character license at school-time, followed closely behind by the local property, Los Lunnis. Other favorites include the Witch, Winx and Bratz licenses.

NPD’s EuroToys offers international marketers consistent, country-by-country market information on consumer purchasing of toys, licensed products, and back-to-school items for strategic and tactical decision-making. Information is collected from both manufacturers and consumers for a total market perspective. To learn what NPD EuroToys can do for your business, contact Anna Scott at
+011-44-1-932-355-580 or e-mail anna_scott@npd.com.