Article

Back to School: Shoppers will make more trips, spend more and seek out the best price

Survey reveals traditional items being replaced on shopping lists, and students are even buying their own supplies these days.

July 27, 2015 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

This is the fifth of a 10-part series Retail Customer Experience will be publishing through July and August to help retailers shape and hone the all-important back-to-school sales strategy. We’re looking for some great ideas and efforts from the retailers for the final series, so if you have a back-to-school retail experience to share, emailus!

Back-to-school shoppers are getting an earlier start this summer, will make more trips to stores and plan to spend more this year than last, a new study reveals.

The survey reports that 92 percent of households with school-age children will spend at least the same, and likely more, on school supplies and that 40 percent of students will be helping out with such purchases, compared to 33 percent last year, according to the latest Meijer customer survey.

"Families are starting their back-to-school shopping earlier than ever and seem incredibly focused on taking advantage of deals," said Peter Whitsett, executive VP of merchandising and marketing for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer, said in a announcement.

As Retail Customer Experience reported a few weeks back, shoppers aren’t the only ones getting a head start on the shopping season. Retailers are being encouraged to get sales and marketing and strategies up and running even before a school year ends in prep for the start of the next one.

One reason, as the Meijer survey illustrates, is that customers are taking into account such sales, low prices and promotions in back-to-school shopping. Meijer is offering nearly 150 items for less than a buck and has dropped prices on more than 200 items through September, notes the release.

In mid-August it’s also planning a Back-to-School Bucks mobile shopping savings promotion as well as print coupons to lure in shoppers. Mobile, as experts recently told Retail Customer Experience, is a fast-growing trend in back-to-school shopping.

While traditional popular school purchases, such e-readers, calculators and tablets, are still on many shopping lists they are being replaced with classroom basics this year like pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, crayons and binders, states Meijer’s survey.

“However, they're being purchased in larger quantities to last the entire school year. The basics don't have to feel basic – students are taking it upon themselves to customize everything from notebooks to backpacks to lockers,” noted the survey. Another top trend this school season are backpacks with padded backs for a more comfortable use. Young students are interested in products tagged to hot media, such as movies, and seeing out supplies with favorite characters (and yes Frozenis still in big demand).

This is the fifth of a 10-part series Retail Customer Experience will be publishing through July and August to help retailers shape and hone the all-important back-to-school sales strategy. We’re looking for some great ideas and efforts from the retailers for the final series, so if you have a back-to-school retail experience to share, emailus!

If you have missed a segment in our 10-part Back-to-School Series? Catch up:

Part 1: Back to School: Not too early to start planning as new trends factor into strategy

Part 2: Back to School: 8 tips for enhancing mobile customer experience

Part 3: Back to School:Sales to dip nearly 10% despite other economy gains

Part 4: Back to School: How one NY retailer is approaching the business season

About Judy Mottl

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Judy Mottl is editor of Retail Customer Experience and Digital Signage Today. She has decades of experience as a reporter, writer and editor covering technology and business for top media including AOL, InformationWeek, InternetNews and Food Truck Operator.

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