The dreaded back-to-school period is perhaps the toughest time in the calendar for parents, guardians and children. For kids, it means readjusting to routine after six unstructured weeks of bliss and freedom, while for caregivers, it can mark a time of enormous stress and expense.
Local shops can’t fix all the challenges that come with the back-to-school period, but they can at least make mealtimes easier, healthier, and even more fun.
This is certainly not to be underestimated. By stocking an engaging, easy-to-shop range of lunchbox snacks and after-school treats, retailers might just stave off the next tantrum, make the transition easier, and win loyal shoppers.
The must-have categories are universal, with sales of juices, sweets, and lunchbox snacks experiencing a bump around this time, and sales can come quite easily if you tick all the boxes. But you need to cater for parents just as much as the kids entering your store. Here, we speak to two top retailers to find out their strategies and reveal our must-stock lines.
When to utilise new products
It’s a fact of life that new products excite younger shoppers. Vince Malone, owner of Tenby Stores and Post Office in Pembrokeshire, makes sourcing new products a year-round focus. He describes the fact that Tenby, a small town in south-west Wales, is a little behind the curve on national product trends as a good thing. It gives him an advantage as it enables him to see what’s working well elsewhere and prepare for it coming to his neighbourhood.
Right now, Vince says kids are “going feral” for Bobby’s Zuru Gumi Yum Surprise. The egg-shaped treat features eight fruit-flavoured gummy strips, which can be unwrapped to reveal a surprise toy inside.
“All we’ve done is put it on the shelf and they’ve flown out,” he says. “That’s when you know you’re onto a winner. Products like that, which offer a toy or something additional, always do well.”
Vince is tactical about the new products he stocks. For example, Labubu dolls are sweeping social media and convenience stores right now, but Malone decided against stocking them after he struggled to source legitimate products.
“All we could find were counterfeit options, which we saw as possibly damaging our reputation,” he says. “We did stock fidget spinners back when they were popular, but the challenge is gauging whether kids will like a new product, which is always trial and error.”
How can you encourage sales of kids’ brands?
Parents are the key to driving sales, according to Nishi Patel, owner of Londis Bexley Park in Dartford, Kent. He recommends that retailers offer products that they won’t mind spending money on if they make their children happy.
“Water cannons and balloons, for example, might seem silly and expensive, but parents won’t mind spending money on them if it keeps their kids occupied and gives them a break,” he says.
Some retailers will recommend merchandising kids’ products in the eye lines of children, as parents will find it difficult to say no, but Malone says to tread carefully with this, as it can have a negative effect.
“We try to be respectful to parents. If everything is in the children’s faces and at their level, it quickly becomes ‘I want this, I want that’, and parents can become stressed. If they do, they’re less likely to come back,” he says.
Instead, Malone looks for a balance to drive repeat custom from families. “We merchandise products in a way that won’t make parents uncomfortable, so not always in the eye line of children, which helps ensure they’ll return,” he says.
There’s also a balance between offering products that are a treat and offering delicious options that are a little bit healthier. Giving parents a choice is essential, as research shows that even just offering healthier options on the shelf is enough to improve the shopping experience. At Epicurium, we are always on the lookout for kid-friendly snacks and drinks that drive overall category sales and profits.
Here are our suggestions for the back-to-school period:
- Cawston Press: These drinks are packed with pressed fruit, offering a simple and natural taste. Flavours we stock include Apple, Rhubarb, and Sparkling Orange.
- Doisy & Dam: Doisy & Dam sources cocoa from leading suppliers in Colombia, Ghana, and Ecuador, and uses no dairy or palm oil. There are sharing bags and impulse bags available in D&D’s, Ballers and Clusters varieties.
- Happy Monkey: These smoothies and milkshakes contain finely blended fruit, vegetables, and milk that can be served as a breakfast, lunch or evening snack.
- Pip Organic: A range of organic fruit snacks, Pip Organic is committed to clean-label snacking and provides kids with one of their five a day.
Offering more than sweets and chocolate
Sweets and chocolate might keep kids occupied for five minutes, but retailers are seeing a surge in sales of pocket-money toys, driven by parents looking for affordable treats that have a longer enjoyment time.
“Sales of kids’ products are quite seasonal, but in the summer, we always have footballs, rainbow balls, mega balls, etc. We’ve sold around 200 units this summer already,” says Patel.
“We’re rammed when a heatwave happens. Spending goes up and toys fly out the door, but we’re mindful of holiday periods, too.”
Patel will therefore briefly cut down on ordering until the back-to-school period begins towards the end of the month, when he anticipates sales of stationery, novelty items, and treat sales will increase.
How can you build a credible kids’ range?
- Be aware of what’s on trend: Research new trends and upcoming product launches. Malone says this can be done using TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. “If you don’t like social media, have your team take it on,” he says.
- Talk to your suppliers and reps: “Ask them about what’s trending. From here, you can ensure you have availability of any new products,” Malone says.
- Talk to your younger customers: The best – and possibly quickest – way to find out about new products is to ask your younger customers. Take note of what they’re buying, as this can form the basis of your own research.
Are you looking to make more from the back-to-school period? Get in touch to find out how we can help you.
