To learn about Shipt’s Ultimate Shopping Guide and how it helps families prepare for back to school, I stopped by their Shipt Back to School Bus Tour.

Note: I was invited as media to this event. However any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

At the tour stop I met with Rina Hurst, Shipt Chief Business Officer, who shared results of a recent poll of parents, caregivers, teachers and college students about must-have school supplies.


Here are a few top insights families need to know, according to Shipt’s Ultimate Shopping Guide:

• Backpacks: To no surprise, backpacks are one of the hottest items to purchase for parents of students, with a staggering 84% of parents purchasing a new backpack every year.
• Write This Down: While nearly half of parents (41%) claim they buy just 5-15 pens or pencils for the year, those same supplies are what more than half of parents (52%) claim their children run out of the fastest.
• Lunch Box Ready: Preparing school lunches is a full-time job for some parents with over one in four (28%) reporting that they purchase school snacks and lunch supplies on a daily basis. Did you know over 27 million packages of Cheez-Its® were sold last year around back to school season, as well as 23 million packages of Goldfish® and nearly 900,000 Nature Valley Granola Bars, according to Shipt data?
• Digital Classrooms: In addition to pens, notebooks, calculators and books, teachers are also purchasing bigger ticket items this back-to-school season with 72% planning to purchase an electronic tablet for school use.
• Keepin’ It Cool: Whether hosting, studying or late night-snacking, don’t forget to add a mini fridge to dorm room must-haves this school year. Almost half of college students (44%) report that they’ve purchased a mini fridge in the past and plan to do so again. And, what’s the number one item stocked in their mini fridges? One in three college students (33%) say beverages.

Rooted in insights from the survey, Shipt has created the Ultimate School Shopping Guide, a shoppable menu of school essentials to assist consumers throughout the retail season.

Available on the Shipt app now, customers can purchase everything they need for the first day ahead of time with ease.


After speaking with Rina, I wanted to do my part in supporting families in need, so I joined Volunteers of America and Operation Backpack team to filled a new book bag with school supplies. The backpacks will go to students living in homeless shelters.

While I was at the NYC stop, the Shipt Back to School Bus Tour continues to different states, including New York City (7/20-7/21), Boston (7/23-7/24), Philadelphia (7/27-7/28), and Baltimore (8/1-8/2).


Shipt and Kristen Bell are donating 2,000 backpacks valued at nearly $50,000 to Operation Backpack, a non-profit dedicated to connecting children in need with new backpacks filled with grade-specific school supplies. Join Shipt on the tour by filling backpacks on-site for Shipt and Kristen Bell to donate on your behalf.

The family friendly Shipt Back to School Bus will showcase this year’s trending products; share helpful insights for parents, teachers and students; offer fun, interactive games and more!

For specific locations for each city, follow Shipt on Instagram (@Shipt)

Through a community of Shipt Shoppers and a convenient app, Shipt provides personal shopping and delivery and is available to 80% of households in more than 5,000 U.S. cities.

Learn more, visit - ww.shipt.com