Back to school/ office marketing techniques

2022, what a year; two threats, inflation, and the looming recession, require retailers to be more vigilant for the new semester shopping season. Consumer wallets feel constrained by the higher prices of essentials, leaving less room for discretionary spending. And while a new grade will need a new pen and notebook, you may not need a new backpack.

2022, what a year; two threats, inflation, and the looming recession, require retailers to be more vigilant for the new best back-to-school season.

Understanding these shopper approaches will help retailers understand what most important and what drives families is to buy during the recession. Connected with this knowledge, retailers can perfect their digital platforms, take the necessary precautions, and address the nuances of each type of shopper.

*Note: These insights are from 2021 Back to School stats combine with the current commerce buying behavior.

When are consumers spending on back-to-school shopping?

The shopping season for the new semester usually spans the summer months of July, August, and September.

43%) of parents plan to go back to school and shop for this year’s Amazon Prime Day. Amazon recently announced it will return to regular July slots. About one in three say they are waiting for Labor Day and other holidays on their summer sale.
71% of US shoppers are willing to wait more than two weeks to buy something if they want to take advantage of a sale, offer, or promotion.

Back-To-School Buying trends

Retailers who supply convenient transactions can set up a solid position as 68% prefer in-store return formats for online purchases.

66% prefer retailers that offer free shipping
79% will segment will also be more comfortable with virtual and online learning resources for children
39% plan to spend the same or more than last year
49% to supplement children’s education
29% said they planned to buy electronics like laptops, tablets, or printers
48% of North American back-to-school shoppers will shop at stores that offer curbside pickup or contactless shipping.
As of early May, more parents than in previous years are planning to spend at least $250

Reasons for purchase

Inventory was still a problem, with 26% facing being out of stock and only 6% facing cancellation of orders. It would be wise to pre-order the product as much as 6%, and this number was higher in the other categories. Omni-channel played a key role in the new semester, driven by both BOPIS and Curbside. 20% said they ordered BOPIS because of the strong traction of the store, and 17% said they ordered it on the curve side.

It is expected that such patterns may change as the pandemic declines and flows. Twenty-six percent of respondents collected information focused on reading product reviews. 11% downloaded the list of licensed schools and a similar number created a shopping list on their website. Only 4% surveyed online dormitory lists and recommendations. It was irreplaceable for my own experience. It was interesting to see 9% still reading the newspaper newsletter, so they still play a role.

Shopping is different...selling will be different

How do retailers know what trends they are responding to, and which are changing the behavior of shoppers? Let us look at the shopping trends and how companies can develop retail marketing strategies to meet shoppers.

People are beating the heavy traffic back to school sale, or waiting after it
According to Deloitte, inflation is causing some customers to buy now before the major summer sales, or after it. With inflation and buying power, product stocks will be limited; high rise in shipping, and fewer cargo crates.
People like the convenience of omnichannel shopping
It is very convenient for customers to engage with your product in more than one place. Giving more visibility to your products while formatting based on the channel’s natural behavior. For example, using TikTok to highlight what you can do with the product and using Instagram to present it.
Businesses can turn video ads into virtual storefronts, effortlessly leading people from inspiration to buy.
Ikea has launched its virtual AR product interface causing a rise of 45% increase in back-to-school sales. Increased companies are personalizing their products directly to the customer’s home/convenience via AR.
Inflation is reducing purchasing power
People are more willing to buy 33% more with the inflation going on. The psychology of having but with a little distance in terms of buying power gets consumers more roused to buy products. Brand building marketing techniques are rising by 12% from last year.
What can you do- Since buying power is decreasing, companies are adapting to brand building using their internal team. B-roll videos and employee social postings are more prominent amongst e-commerce companies.
Be more impactful in the community and supply free samples. Direct interaction with students
Being involved with the community and using your product to help everyone gives a direct interaction with customers and the product. Doing this will allow people to engage more with your business, allowing you to supply deals, promotions, features, etc.
Seasonal promotions/ packages
All kinds of deals and marketing strategies are active during the back-to-school period. A/B test to see which marketing strategies supply the highest popularity of interactions/ engagements. Back-to-school is all about impressing (student psychology) and learning of course.
Change design to a more school-driven theme
Providing your product with a school-driven theme can inspire your customers to feel the usage of your product at school. Look at these examples:

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