School’s Out for the Summer… Are You Ready for Back-to-School Merchandising?
School may be out for the summer, but back-to-school merchandising is in session.
A 2018 survey from Deloitte found that 62% of shoppers plan to begin their back-to-school shopping before August, spending about $100 more than shoppers who get a later start.
Between mid-July and mid-August, back-to-school shoppers could spend roughly $18 billion. According to Statistics Canada, in the third quarter of 2017 Canadians spent $365 million on girls’ clothing and accessories for back to school; $325 million on boys’ clothing and accessories; and $549 million on home office supplies.
Some parents even report spending more on back-to-school shopping than they do during the holiday season!
Additionally, most school supply shopping is happening in-store – not online. The Deloitte survey found that 52% of back-to-school spending was planned to take place in-store in 2018.
Back-to-school shopping is a huge opportunity for retailers and manufacturers alike. And although school has just gotten out for the summer, September will be here faster than we realize.
Be prepared by:
- Making sure your products are stocked and on shelves in stores.
- Creating visual merchandising displays for back-to-school. Consider putting these out in July, too – as we mentioned above, many people start shopping before August and spend more when they do.
- Plan out sales and in-store events around back-to-school shopping. Providing early-bird incentives could persuade even more shoppers to start sooner.
- Make sure that your eCommerce presences are aligned with your in-store sales. For instance, advertise sales on social media; make certain online retailers are kept stocked; ensure the right product descriptions are on site; and more.
Time is of the essence but starting now will help you be prepared and – more importantly – could potentially even increase your back-to-school sales.
Storesupport Canada can help manufacturers make sure their back-to-school products are kept in stock, on shelves, and displayed how you want it. Our team has a national reach. We go into stores to check every detail you require.
Contact us today to plan your back-to-school merchandising strategy. Call 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.
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