Fueled by the Amazon Prime Day frenzy, back-to-school consumers are restocking for the fall semester earlier and earlier. And retailers are taking note — ramping up their sales and marketing efforts in an attempt to capitalize on the momentum of the shopping bonanza. According to RetailMeNot’s latest report, “The Ultimate 2018 Back-to-School Trends and Insights Guide,” retailers are offering more deals — earlier — than last year.
And while Amazon provides relatively frictionless, transaction-based shopping journeys, retailers are fighting against the Goliath-like platform with bevies of in-store experiences to ramp up foot traffic. According to the report, 96 percent of all parents will visit a brick-and-mortar store at least once while b-t-s shopping — 58 percent said they’ll plan to complete all of their purchases in a physical retail location.
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According to the report, retailers are branching out in their efforts. “Fifty-two percent of retailers are trialing special in-store experiences, 47 percent are trying brand collaborations,” the report said. “Forty-one percent are experimenting with traveling marketing campaigns, 39 percent plan to offer food and drinks to shoppers, and 31 percent are debuting pop-up shops.”
Retailers aren’t holding any punches, either. In addition to the newer marketing strategies, they’re also sticking to tried-and-true methods to attract shoppers. The report said that 79 percent of retailers intend to offer more b-t-s discounts compared to last year. The discounts will be deeper, too. “Three in four will run deeper discounts for consumers in 2018,” the report said.
Parents are crunched for time, especially come summer months. With that, the report confirmed that they plan to maximize each shopping excursion. “Sixty percent of parents prefer to purchase all of their b-t-s items in three shopping trips or less,” the report said. During these trips, they’ll be scouting for the best deals, no less.
They’ll also be expediting their shopping visits by researching items and sales online, the report suggested. “More than half browse back-to-school items on their smartphones because they can do it on the go, and 46 percent prefer mobile shopping because it allows them to multitask,” the report said. That comparative shopping will also drive consumers toward the best deals.
“Sixty-five percent of back-to-school consumers agree that cost is the biggest determining factor in what they buy their children during this season,” the report said.
Deals might attract parents, but social media will spark interest among students and caregivers alike. The report said that 69 percent of retailers will target b-t-s shoppers through Instagram feeds — 67 percent will aim to do so with Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, 60 percent, and Snapchat, 56 percent.
The strategies are paying off, literally. The report said spending across all categories — from apparel to electronics — is on the rise. Notably, the report predicted that average spending on apparel will reach $189 — compared with $153 last year.
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