Boosting Back-to-School Sales to Make Your Store Top of the Class
Help Your Customers with Their Back-to-School Routine
Seize the Opportunity With over 9 million UK students attending state-funded or independent schools last academic year, an increase of 18,200 from the previous year, the back-to-school period presents a significant opportunity for retailers.
Timing is Everything The success of your back-to-school sales can depend on several factors, including the range of products and timing, which vary considerably by location and competition.
Stocking at the Right Time Every region has different return-to-school dates. Check your local school’s website or call them to start planning. Generally, most schools in Scotland return in August, while schools in England start in September.
Case Study: Vince Malone, owner of Premier Tenby Stores and Post Office in Pembrokeshire, shifts his focus to back-to-school promotions in August, right after his ‘Thank the teacher’ campaign. He notes that many families buy back-to-school items whilst on holiday, turning it into a family experience.
"It’s amazing how many families and children will buy back-to-school bits while on holiday," says Malone. "Their holidays are the one time they’re all together, and it almost becomes a family experience."
Malone adds that this approach helps families avoid the last-minute rush. "We did it when our children were young, too. We would buy their shoes when on holiday and some stationery. It wasn’t loads, but they would get a new pencil case, for example. It would become an experience."
Maximise Sales with Strategic Stocking While stocking lunchtime fillers is important, focus on stationery and other essential items to drive those all-important sales.
Which Products Should You Focus On?
In the final few weeks before school returns, focus on products like lunchbox items and drinks. It’s crucial to maintain availability during these last days, as many last-minute shoppers will be buying for the next day.
When deciding which products to stock, consider the types of customers you have. Back-to-school customers can generally be divided into two groups: parents and school children.
Parents will likely want a varied selection to fill their children’s lunchboxes. Including healthy options, like fruit, can be beneficial. Multipacks will be a key format, as parents often shop for the entire school week.
When thinking about lunchbox fillers, consider these brands:
Zombie Bars
A fun and healthy snacking experience. The fruit leatherz feature unique branding to appeal to a wide demographic and offer stand-out shelf appeal.
Happy MonkeyÂ
These are drinks made for kids, ready to drink straight from the pack, finely blended fruit, vegetables, and milk.
Bear Snacks
With cereals and gently baked fruit snacks, Bear is the number one brand in the kids’ fruit snacking category.
Capitalising on Back-to-School with Nearby Competition
So, you’ve got your list of products to stock, but what do you do if you have a supermarket nearby with the ability to stock a larger range? Adapting and focusing on those last-minute distress purchases is key to combating this.
Alternatively, keep the same range but focus on marketing to bring customers to your store. Create reels on Facebook to target parents and utilise Instagram and TikTok to capture a younger audience.
Explore alternative ways of boosting shopper loyalty, such as in-store theatre. This can help your back-to-school range stand out and put you ahead of competitors. Additionally, product and customer knowledge can place you above supermarkets. Know the local area and its schools, and talk to your customers about their needs.
Some retailers cease to stock lunchbox fillers and other back-to-school items as soon as schools return, but why? Doing so means missing out on a huge opportunity.
"We’re quite far from the local school so participating in back-to-school won’t help sales. However, I know I’m able to help with lunchboxes at whim," explains Atul Sodha from Londis Harefield in Uxbridge, Middlesex. "Parents come in on their way home to stock up on those products for the next day. They come to me because they know they can get what they need and won’t have to stand in long queues."
Sodha emphasises the importance of being flexible with your range and adapting to new trends.
"The key is knowing when these customers come into your store and making sure you have the products available," he says. "If you have an afternoon rush, change your bakery times to suit that trade. During school terms, we know we’ll get traffic later on in the day, and we’ve adapted to that. Use your own EPoS data, understand your customers and adapt."