BY Kathy Crosett
Some kids have barely seen the end of the last school year. But that’s not stopping retailers from promoting their back-to-school deals. For many businesses, the BTS season is second only to the year-end holiday shopping season. And this year, financially strained consumers will be looking for the best deals. AudienceSCAN reports that around 49% of consumers are considered BTS shoppers. Here’s what you need to know about back-to-school shopping trends.
How big is the BTS market?
Tinuiti’s new research shows that 30% parents plan to spend between $251-$500 per child on BTS supplies. Another 28% will spend between $101 and $250. Overall, roughly 59% of shoppers will spend more on supplies this year when compared to last year. This is good news for your retailers but competition for those dollars will be fierce.
The overall spending last year amounted to $39.4B according to the National Retail Federation. One back-to-school shopping trend is the significant spending on tech equipment.
The largest categories for consumer spending in 2025 were:
- Electronics and computer-related equipment $13.6B
- Apparel and accessories $11.4B
- Shoes $7.8B
- School supplies $6.6B
It’s likely that the spending will follow similar patterns this year.
In addition, the National Retail Federation reports that over 40% of Gen Zers and millennial parents started their shopping in early June. Your accounts should be rolling out their BTS shopping campaigns now!
How financial pressures will impact spending
Over 60% of consumers cite higher grocery and gas prices as a concern. A top back-to-school shopping trend will be financial strain and how it impacts spending. Around 25% of parents are worried that they can’t afford “the necessary school products for their children this year.”
Remind your accounts that parents have favorite destinations for BTS shopping. This year, they will visit the following types of businesses:
- Big box stores 66%
- Clothing stores 48%
- Discount stores 36%
- Department stores 36%
- Grocery stores 30%
- Office supply stores 29%
- Warehouse clubs 19%
- Bookstores 16%
- Electronics stores 15%
Your local accounts also face competition from online retailers. Around 42% of BTS shoppers will do some online shopping for their supplies this year.
Your accounts can protect their market share by promoting the products that BTS shoppers prefer to buy in the store. This includes apparel and footwear (62%) and core school supplies (54%).
The power of advertising and BTS shopping
Tinuiti also polled shoppers about media types where they have noticed promotions for BTS supplies. The top categories include:
- Social media 42%
- TV 35%
- Online marketplaces 24%
- Streaming video 22%
In addition, about 16% cited radio and the same percentage indicated print ads.
According to AudienceSCAN, nearly 54% of BTS shoppers took action after seeing a streaming TV ad in the past month. As the result of seeing an ad, about 34% of these consumers purchased what was being promoted. Tinuiti reports that the top streaming media platforms for BTS shoppers to learn about products and promotions are YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
The importance of deals
Promotions will definitely influence purchase decisions and are a big component of this year’s back-to-school shopping trends. Consumers are looking for deals. When retailers tout cashback offers (51%) and loyalty rewards (49%), BTS shoppers will be swayed. Keep in mind that 16% of these consumers make purchases based on coupons they have. Remind your accounts that including these promotional elements in their ad campaigns will attract more shoppers.
Emphasizing value
As Tinuiti analysts explain, consumers are laser-focused on price (65%), sales (57%) and free shipping (51%) as they search for BTS supplies. As your accounts develop their ad content, they should understand the mindset of these shoppers. AudienceSCAN data reveals that 38% are eating at home more often. And 18% will compromise on quality to save money.
These consumers also over-index for buying products that make them feel proud and intelligent. When your accounts position their products as important for the future of children, BTS shoppers will notice and take action.
Don’t let your accounts miss out on this year’s back-to-school shopping trends. Parents and teachers will spend on products that they feel students need. It will be challenging to stand out from the competition. But your accounts can capture attention and revenue by targeting these consumers with promotions in the media formats they use.
Image by RDNE Stock Project on Pexels.
