Back-to-School Ecommerce Tips for 2024

It seems like summer just began, but the time is now for ecommerce businesses to start planning for a successful Back-to-School campaign. The event presents a great opportunity for online businesses to produce new sales and increase customer retention.

This year, there’s even more of an opportunity to build your business. According to JLL’s 2024 Back to School Report, parents plan to spend nearly 22% more on Back-to-School shopping. Despite concerns of inflation, for the second consecutive year, parents are increasing their per-child spending from $390 to $475.

Online businesses should consider Back-to-School more of a seasonal selling opportunity than a single day event like Valentine’s Day. School districts throughout the United States have different start dates, so there’s ample opportunity for a longer sales cycle. 

Whether your ecommerce business already has a solid infrastructure and a marketing machine ready or you’re relatively new in trying to tap into a chunk of the Back-to-School spend, there are some key strategies to implement to ensure a successful online retail experience.

Start Now

Begin planning and promoting your Back-to-School specials now. JLL’s survey of 1,000 parents of school-age children, reports that 75% of them expect to have already begun shopping by July.

Gift Guides and Bundles

Create curated gift guides and bundles tailored specifically for parents of school-age children and young adults. This can simplify the shopping process for customers and increase average order value. Be strategic and upsell. For example, if a bundle costs $72, offer free shipping at $80.

Personalization

Incorporate personalization options into your product offerings. Personalized purchases, like monogrammed backpacks, tend to resonate more with recipients and are perceived as more thoughtful. Plus, personalization offers opportunities to drive additional revenue per sale, or they can be offered for free at certain minimum order sizes.

Mobile Optimization

Ensure that your ecommerce platform is optimized for mobile devices. A significant portion of online shopping for Back-to-School will be via smartphones and tablets.

Social Media Promotion

Leverage social media platforms to promote your Back-to-School specials. Visual platforms parents often visit like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are particularly effective for showcasing purchase ideas. And, don’t forget about TikTok because that’s where the kids are, and, after all, they do tend to be the ultimate decider in purchasing decisions. Lastly, don’t forget that mom influencers on TikTok continue to be a growing trend, and may present the possibility of a brand ambassador partnership.

Email Marketing

Send out targeted email campaigns to your subscriber list, highlighting your Back-to-School offerings. Include compelling visuals and persuasive copy to entice recipients to make a purchase.

Offer Gift Cards

If you offer Back-to-School products geared more for older students, like high-schoolers, consider the option for customers to purchase gift cards. This can appeal to last-minute shoppers and those who prefer to let the recipient choose their own items.

Free Shipping and Discounts

Consider offering free shipping or discounts to incentivize customers to buy from your ecommerce store. Put an eligibility deadline on placing orders for free shipping. This incentivizes earlier purchases and alerts buyers that they’ll need to pay for shipping for purchases completed after the free shipping deadline. And, as noted above, whenever possible, upsell using the incentive of free shipping.

Post-Purchase Follow-Up

After the sale, follow up with customers to gather feedback and encourage them to share their experience on social media or review platforms. Positive reviews and testimonials boost future sales.

Inventory Management

Make sure to manage your inventory effectively to avoid stockouts of popular Back-to-School items. Monitor sales trends and adjust your inventory levels. Review last year’s Back-to-School sales to learn the impacts of this sales event on your inventory levels and sales velocity. Then, plan accordingly.

Back-to-School also offers a unique opportunity for online businesses to sell inventory that wasn’t purchased during July’s Prime Day.

Budget for Back-to-School 2025

If you set aside a budget for this year’s Back-to-School sales opportunity, once the sales cycle is over, review if funds were allocated appropriately and make any necessary adjustments for next year. If you didn’t have a budget, imagine how much more successful you’d be if you didn’t “wing it.”

Adding Back-to-School line items to a budget or seeking a loan for a marketing strategy will help ensure you are set up for retail success. Upon completing your review, save those notes to streamline next year’s Back-to-School go-to-market efforts.

No matter what you sell . . . traditional school supplies, shoes, clothing, electronics, jewelry, personalized items – WHATEVER, Back-to-School presents business-building opportunities you must take advantage of.

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