When choosing where to shop first for back to school supplies, consumers chose Walmart by more than 2 to 1 over the next closest retailer, according to a recent consumer perception study conducted by leading market research firmClickIQ, Inc.Consumers with school aged children were surveyed regarding their plans for back-to-school shopping and 51% of respondents plan on shopping Walmart first for school supplies. Target posts a distant second at 20%. Leading the rest of the pack in the single digits is Staples at 8%. When asked the drivers behind the various retailer choices, the dominate reasons selected were price at 78% and convenience at 49%.

When respondents were asked to select the number one place they plan to shop for back-to-school clothes, Walmart leads again at 24% but the margins are smaller. 14% selected Kohl’s as their number one place to purchase school clothes, followed by J.C. Penny at 12%, Target at 11%, and Gap’s Old Navy brand at 10%. When respondents were asked to select all of the retailers that they plan to shop for back-to-school clothes, Walmart with 55% was closely followed by Target at 50%, Kohl’s at 45%, Old Navy at 43%, and J.C. Penny at 36%.

Robert Boese, VP Operations at ClickIQ, provides an explanation for some of the numbers. Boese said, “The data might indicate that the dragging recession comes in to play when shopping for back-to-school clothes. Perhaps consumers are shopping strategically at Walmart and enhancing their wardrobes with carefully selected items from other clothing retailers.” Boese also observed, “If you look at the strong overall numbers that Walmart and Target posted for both back-to-school categories, supplies and clothes, the underlying data suggests that one-stop-shopping comes in to play.