IRVINE, CA—Click-to-ship just isn't part of the back-to-school experience, causing consumers to choose brick-and-mortars over online shopping for these purchases, JLL's director of national retail leasing Holly Rome tells GlobeSt.com. A recently released report from the firm revealed that 88% of shoppers will shop at a brick-and-mortar store for either school supplies or clothing and that customer service and convenience take a back seat to value when it comes to back-to-school shopping. We spoke exclusively with Rome about what motivates back-to-school shoppers and how retailers can calibrate their offerings to meet consumer demand.

GlobeSt.com: Why do you feel low prices trumps convenience when it comes to back-to-school shoppers?

Rome: Convenience is essential to any shopping experience, but value remains a key driver of back-to-school shopping because consumers are increasingly price sensitive, especially when purchasing commoditized goods like school supplies. We found that 90% of consumers polled planned to spend up to $500 on back-to-school shopping this year. With a budget that size, it makes sense that 70% of shoppers ranked low prices as the important factor. At the end of the day, back-to-school shoppers want to get more bang for their buck and get in-and-out of stores with as much crossed off their list as possible.

We also found that while value is king, quality products that will last the entire year were ranked second in terms of importance, which may explain why dollar stores were considerably less popular with shoppers. We're seeing shoppers hit the trifecta of super and department stores for their purchases: WalMart, Target and Macy's. 

GlobeSt.com: Do you think that the e-tail community will catch on to this and begin offering shoppers both the value they crave and the convenience that online shopping gives them?

Rome: We found that back-to-school shoppers are heading to physical stores rather than online for apparel, and overwhelmingly for supplies—only 21% prefer online. Based on our findings, it's likely that the click-to-ship just isn't part of the back-to-school experience. Kids want to play a part in the shopping process, whether it's picking out their own notebooks or trying on new tennis shoes, and in-store purchases make that possible. It's a competitive marketplace, and online retailers will increasingly need to provide options for immediate shopper gratification—like same-day or free shipping. However, the margins on certain goods aren't always sustainable for this model.   

GlobeSt.com: Once customers get used to the type of service that brick-and-mortars strive to offer, will they begin to seek this during back-to-school shopping time as well?

Rome: Brick-and-mortar retailing is always about creating an experience; it's no longer acceptable to have the status quo shopping center. Customer service is always part of the equation; it's just whether or not the consumers are able to enjoy and take advantage of it. If you compare holiday and back-to-school shopping, holiday is typically much more leisurely, and goods are purchased with a specific person in mind and intent; whereas back-to-school shopping is done at a taskmaster pace: get the glue sticks and get out.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers take away from your report?

Rome: This year I'm seeing the back-to-school shopping season stretch out, with 80% of shoppers targeting up to five destinations for gathering their goods. While two-thirds of shoppers will shop before their kids go back to school, we're seeing some stragglers. It's likely that necessity shopping will happen before school starts, but parents will continue to buy over the first month to stretch out the costs. For more information, download the full report: http://bit.ly/JLLBTSsurvey.