Retailers may be keeping their Back-to-School assortments tight, but promotions are already poised to be bigger than ever.
Since May, advertising is in full swing. Homepage and email mentions of the event has increased by 20% YoY in the US and UK combined. And more retailers keep getting involved – we tracked 65% more retailers using the term ‘school’ on homepages and emails than the week before. Looking historically, 46% of BTS promotions fall in August, making it the peak time for advertising.
Childrenswear aside, the lead-up to a new school term comes with plenty of opportunities for promotional campaigns across categories. And this information is just a click away. EDITED Visual Merchandising gives retailers the power to sift through the noise and understand the key messaging for promotional events. Our retail data platform can help your team be more informed when planning for upcoming campaigns and stay one step ahead of the competition. Get started here.
So, what should you be adding to your marketing calendars next year?
1. Back-to-College
Teen and youth retailers are looking at a missed opportunity if they aren’t considering BTC. Spendings are at an all-time high, up 3.6% at $976.78 per household. The event is gaining enough momentum to stand on its own outside BTS with email mentions up by 54% YoY. According to NRF, families shopping for college students in 2019 plan to spend the most on electronics followed by clothing and accessories. Keep these categories in mind for communications, as well as homewares and furnishings for an Instagrammable dorm room.
2. Graduation
This year, graduation promos kicked off on the 11th of April, more than one week later than in 2018. Missguided in the UK got the ball rolling with an email promoting dresses for £10 and the message ‘Graduating with a 1st in being fire’. Promotions continued until late June with effective messaging across multiple categories. In the US, retailers such as Nike, Reebok, and Clark’s combined Father’s Day with Graduation Day pushing ‘Grads & Dad’s’ messaging. The major categories advertised in 2019 Graduation Day promotions included dresses, suiting, and gifting, advertised by retailers such as Lulu’s, Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. For retailers that don’t offer year-round student discounts, consider the opportunity in 2020 to entice younger customers to shop ahead of their big day.
3. Make it mobile
According to Deloitte, 60% of BTS shoppers are using devices during this time, with over half of the group planning to buy via smartphone. In addition to email campaigns for school planning, mobile advertising with a seamless connection to direct purchases should be on your radar. Retailers such as Next and Oshkosh Kids are already leveraging this opportunity making their BTS campaign shoppable on their Instagram.
EDITED Market Analytics can help marketing teams determine if a competitor’s post was successful in driving sales for the advertised styles. These insights can shape the upcoming product selection and content for future campaigns. Want to learn how? Reach out for a demo.
Kayla Marci
