The analyst Retail UK Off to University 2025 report forms part of the Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive overview of the retail occasion of students starting and returning back to university, analysing the market, the major players, the main trends and consumer attitudes.
Report Scope
- Off to uni shoppers generally feel better off financially compared to 2024, resulting in increased total spend and higher penetration across categories
- Impulse purchases increased overall in 2025 as consumers have more discretionary income to spend
- Off to uni shoppers are increasingly prioritising convenience, with more consumers wanting to buy everything at a single retailer and wanting to buy sets e.g. a kitchen set with all kitchenware items for a single price.
Reasons to Buy
- Use our in-depth consumer insight to learn which off to university categories are shopped the most by consumers and ensure that product offerings are catering to the needs and wants of customers.
- Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money and delivery options in order to maximise sales potential.
- Use our in-depth analysis to understand which retailers are leading in certain off to university categories.
Table of Contents
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- People purchased for
- Promotions and offers
- Financial Wellbeing
- Spending
- Buying dynamics
- Off to university statements
- OFF TO UNIVERSITY
- Category summary
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- Purchase timing
- METHODOLOGY
- Proportion of spend by category (%), 2025 and 2024
- Bedroom products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on bedroom items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for bedroom items, 2025 and 2024
- Kitchen products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on kitchen items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for kitchen items, 2025 and 2024
- Clothing & footwear products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on clothing & footwear items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for clothing & footwear items, 2025 and 2024
- Health & beauty products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on health & beauty items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for health & beauty items, 2025 and 2024
- Utility products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on utility items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for utility items, 2025 and 2024
- Stationery products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on stationery items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for stationery items, 2025 and 2024
- Accessories products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on accessories items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for accessories items, 2025 and 2024
- Bathroom products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on bathroom items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for bathroom items, 2025 and 2024
- Electricals products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on electricals items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for electricals items, 2025 and 2024
- Books purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on books, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for books, 2025 and 2024
- Entertainment products purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on entertainment items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for entertainment items, 2025 and 2024
- Miscellaneous items purchased, 2025 and 2024
- Average spend on miscellaneous items, 2025 and 2024
- Top 10 retailers used for miscellaneous items, 2025 and 2024
- Categories bought on impulse (%), 2025 and 2024
- Reasons for purchasing after arriving at university, 2025
- Who people are buying off to university items for, 2025 and 2024
- Appealing and used promotions, 2025
- Financial wellbeing, 2025 and 2024
- Total spending, 2025 and 2024
- How did consumers finance their spending, 2025 and 2024
- Category proportion of total spend, 2025 and 2024
- Off to university statements, 2025
- Penetration for off to university categories, 2025 and 2024
- Drivers of retailer selection, 2025
- Channel usage for purchasing off to university products, 2025 and 2024
- Store type for purchasing off to university products, 2025 and 2024
- Device usage for purchasing off to university products, 2025 and 2024
- Fulfilment options for off to university purchases made online, 2025 and 2024
- Bedroom penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Kitchen penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Clothing & footwear penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Health & beauty penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Utility penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Stationery penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Accessories penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Bathroom penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Electricals penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Books penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Entertainment penetration overall for 2025, 2024 and 2023, and by demographic, 2025
- Miscellaneous items penetration overall for 2025 and 2024, and by demographic, 2025
- Planned/impulse purchases, 2025
- Categories purchased before/after arriving at university, 2025
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Apple
- Argos
- ASDA
- B&M
- Blackwells
- Boots
- Currys
- Daunt Books
- Dunelm
- GAME
- H&M
- HMV
- Home Bargains
- IKEA
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lidl
- Marks & Spencer
- Marks Electricals
- Morrisons
- Next
- Poundland
- Primark
- Ryman
- Sainsbury's
- Shein
- Superdrug
- Temu
- Tesco
- The Works
- TK Maxx
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Zara
