DatapodsInsights

Back-to-School Category Mix: Stationery Leads

Results as of

Review Jun 2025 – Aug 2026: Stationery and office supplies account for 82–83% of all back-to-school orders in Germany, while laptops and tablets represent fewer than 10% — consistent across both the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Back-to-School Category Mix: Stationery LeadsGrouped or stacked bar chart showing the percentage share of back-to-school orders by category — stationery and office supplies, school bags, and laptops and tablets — for two seasons: 2025 (June–September) and 2026 (June–August 10), among German online shoppers. Stationery accounts for approximately 82–83% in both years; school bags for roughly 8–9%; laptops and tablets for under 10%.Grouped or stacked bar chart showing the percentage share of back-to-school orders by category — stationery and office supplies, school bags, and laptops and tablets — for two seasons: 2025 (June–September) and 2026 (June–August 10), among German online shoppers. Stationery accounts for approximately 82–83% in both years; school bags for roughly 8–9%; laptops and tablets for under 10%.
Grouped or stacked bar chart showing the percentage share of back-to-school orders by category — stationery and office supplies, school bags, and laptops and tablets — for two seasons: 2025 (June–September) and 2026 (June–August 10), among German online shoppers. Stationery accounts for approximately 82–83% in both years; school bags for roughly 8–9%; laptops and tablets for under 10%.
Info
Sample size
n = 8,277
Data date
Jun 2025 – Aug 2026
Segment
All segments
Platform
Purchases
Market
Germany

Analysis

The near-identical category split across two seasons confirms that stationery is the workhorse of German back-to-school shopping online. Pencils, notebooks, folders, and similar everyday consumables dominate order volume because they are bought repeatedly, by a wide age range of students, and increasingly online rather than from specialist Schreibwarenläden.

Schreibwaren as the reliable anchor — tech as the high-value tail

Though laptops and tablets represent fewer than 10% of back-to-school orders, their outsized basket value makes them disproportionately important for revenue. Context helps explain the volume gap: stationery is an annual, often multi-unit replenishment purchase — a single household might place three or four stationery orders across the season. A laptop, by contrast, is bought once every few years. Stationery prices in Germany rose roughly 26% between 2021 and 2025, according to regional statistical offices, which may have pushed budget-conscious parents toward online channels like Amazon where comparison shopping is easier.

This analysis is based on public segment data. For deeper cuts, use our Enterprise interface.

Methodology

The chart shows the share of back-to-school orders by category — stationery and office supplies, school bags, and laptops and tablets — as a proportion of all back-to-school orders tracked among German online shoppers. Categories are derived from product taxonomy codes. The 2025 window covers early June to late September 2025 (approx. 4,995 back-to-school orders); the 2026 window covers early June to Aug 10, 2026 (approx. 3,282 orders). Clothing was excluded because no clean back-to-school taxonomy code could be applied.

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