Hasta La Creative!

The must-have back-to-school accessories this year aren’t the bedazzled backpacks or superhero lunchboxes of years past. This fall, it’s all about cleaning supplies and protective gear. Children heading back to the classroom are as likely to be carrying face masks, gloves and disinfectant wipes as they are to be sporting the latest fashionable jeans and logo T-shirts.

According to the new Ad Age-Harris poll, cleaning supplies, including disinfectant spray and wipes, are just as important as pencils and paper to parents purchasing back-to-school supplies for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. Personal protective equipment, including face masks and gloves, is not far behind. The poll was conducted among 339 adults—181 men and 158 women—last week.  

Regardless of whether their children will attend in-person or at home, back-to-school shopping is still a must for the vast majority of shoppers, or 92 percent, according to the poll.