How to make the most of back-to-school shopping
It’s a new school year – and a fresh chance to engage customers and drive sales.
Back-to-school time is one of the big-ticket events on the retail marketing calendar, with good reason: research suggests that Australian parents and caregivers collectively spend around $3.5 billion* on back-to-school supplies for their kids.
Uniforms, stationery, books and shoes take the lion’s share of spending, while sales of tech, school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles will also soar.
Most are unavoidable purchases, and with the majority of Gen X, Y and Z continuing to struggle with high mortgage repayments and rental costs, parents will be on the look-out for value. Having said that, there is optimism on the horizon, with the retail sector predicated to make a full economic recovery by late 2025.
“Consumers are slightly more confident than they were 12 months ago, and the end is in sight,” says Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis of Retail Doctor Group. “This is a great time for retailers to jump on that, and provide a great offering, by really understanding their customers’ needs.”
Here are some tips on how to engage those customers, building loyalty to keep them coming back for more
1. Time your promotion right.
Google Trends data shows searches for ‘school shoes’ and ‘school stationery’ start to climb very early in the New Year, so it’s never too soon to start planning. Tech giant Apple (Australia) traditionally starts its annual back-to-uni promotion on the first Wednesday in January, for example, with some knockout deals on gifts that Santa missed.
But that doesn’t mean you should try to pip your peers at the post and launch a campaign too early
“We’ve generally seen most sales tend to creep forward in the retail calendar,” says Trent Rigby, director at retail strategy consultancy Retail Oasis.
“But back-to-school remains fixed in early January, which allows a good three weeks before kids return to school or uni. Running back-to-school sales earlier risks messaging getting mixed up in the Boxing Day sales.”
2. Stock up on school supplies.
You know the demand for school-related items will be high during the back-to-school shopping season, but how do you maximise the potential for sales?
- Stock up on fast-moving essential.
- Check out your local schools’ requirements. Identifying what’s on their Term 1 lists, will ensure your products get sold.
- Look at the brands that are trending in schoolyards. Is there a new Disney movie on release? What is LEGO up to? Are people really still playing Minecraft?
“Kids live and breathe trends,” says Salena Knight, CEO, The Retail Strategists. “Being on top of trends, especially in the back-to-school market, will be the difference between selling out and getting stuck with stock you can’t move.”
3. Make it easy for parents to shop.
Back-to-school season is busy for shoppers, especially parents juggling the needs of children across multiple age groups. If you can simplify the shopping experience, they will choose your store.
“People are more impatient and time-poor than they have ever been, and at this time of year there’s even more going on than usual,” says Lloyd Wallis, “so it’s vital that retailers look at the end-to-end customer journey, and check for any friction points. Make that journey as easy as it can be.
“Time is a currency,” she adds. “As a retailer, if the way you’re set up can save your customers time, they’ll be willing to pay for that convenience.”
"Back-to-school shopping can be hectic, and convenience is a huge driver."
Rigby agrees. “Convenience is a huge driver. Most parents prefer to get their back-to-school supplies in one shop or trip.”
For some retailers (such as shoe brands) that might mean allowing parents to pre-book appointments rather than facing the prospect of lengthy queues; for others, it will be about grouping multiple products together into a bundle.
“Both online and in-store, make sure you’re bundling products together for a one-click purchase,” says Rigby. “Creating a single purchase point, that teams up the trending bento box, insulated water bottle and freezer pack will increase your average order value and expose customers to products they may not have even realised they wanted/needed.”
"Both online and in-store, make sure you’re bundling products together for a one-click purchase."
Another way to streamline your offering is to provide guides or checklists of essential back-to-school items. Australia’s largest stationery retailer Officeworks has this down pat, further segmenting its back-to-school checklists by grade.
“If there’s one thing I’ve always been a fan of, it’s a checklist,” says Knight. “Sure, schools will often give kids a list of products that they need, but these aren’t going to include those trending products, or mid-ticket luxury items. By creating your own, and making it easy for customers to purchase, you’re much more likely to get the sale.”
4. Promote back-to-school shopping online.
While the adults are off work (and with all that free time to look at their phones), this time of year is a great opportunity to get your messages in front of the right eyes. Put up a dedicated tab on your website, compose a snappy e-newsletter to showcase your range, take photos for social media.
Consider organising a Facebook competition with prizes, engage your audience with a poll, sponsor a local school event and make sure everyone knows it.
This is a great time to start thinking about blog content that can attract visitors to your site and help customers navigate the back-to-school period. “Blog content can be a powerful tool for building customer engagement and loyalty.” Think school lunch ideas, recipes for fussy eaters if you’re a food retailer, or advice on how to ease back-to-school stress.
Don't forget to download your free Afterpay assets for social and email to let your customers know all about your back-to-school promos.
5. Think beyond the children during back-to-school shopping.
Don’t dismiss the back-to-school period just because your store doesn’t focus on books, shoes or stationery. “Smart retailers will lean into the fact that it’s not just about the kids,” explains Anastasia
A new school year can put the whole family’s routine into chaos, so think about the ways your offering can help smooth that transition. “Meal kits are a great example, as are pet food subscriptions - which are also a good way to build loyalty.”
At the same time, it’s worth remembering that the school holidays can also be a stressful time for parents, and many breathe a sigh of relief when the kids are back into a routine. “There’ll be parents who see this as a time to treat themselves, not just for the previous few weeks but for a tough 12 months."
*Source: Finder, ACARA, Futurity Investment Group
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