Children running into school.

The back-to-school shopping season is one of the busiest times of the year for many brands. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, ecommerce back-to-school shopping has soared to new heights. In this blog, explore answers to some common ecommerce back-to-school shopping season questions so that you can achieve your goals across the entire funnel and all of your marketing channels.

Ecommerce Back-to-School Shopping: A Q&A

Every business with back-to-school seasonality wants success during this important time of year, but not every business knows how to get there. Looking at the data from past years is a great starting point.

Should social media be part of my ecommerce back-to-school shopping strategy?

Last year, 35% of consumers said they planned to use social media sites to assist their back-to-school shopping to browse products, read or post reviews, find out about promotions, or receive coupons. To dive more into 2023 social media strategies, explore some of our latest resources:

How is price sensitivity impacting consumers’ buying behaviors?

With rising inflation rates and an impending recession, many consumers are being cautious with their spending. 43% of back-to-school shoppers said they did more comparative shopping online last year, with 42% saying they shopped for sales more often than the year before. 35% said they would buy more store brand/generic products based on their lower cost.

With shoppers feeling concerned about rising prices, Prime Day could be the perfect opportunity to give your customers exactly what they’re looking for right as the ecommerce back-to-school shopping season starts warming up. Don’t miss your chance to make the most of it! Attend our Prepping for Prime Day 2023 webinar on Tuesday, May 16th at 2 pm EST to maximize your brand’s potential during Prime Day. Register now.

When do most shoppers do their back-to-school shopping?

August is the most popular month for back-to-school shopping, with 41% of consumers saying they shop for back-to-school supplies during this month, followed by 34% in July, 19% in June, and 6% in September.

Where do back-to-school shoppers do most of their shopping?

50% of consumers say they plan to shop for back-to-school items online and 45% plan to shop in department stores. 40% say they plan to shop at discount stores.

How much do shoppers spend on back-to-school items?

Back-to-school shopping spend has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic. US shoppers spent an estimated $36.9 billion on back-to-school items last year.

YearBack-to-School Shopping Spend in the US
2019$26.2 billion
2020$33.9 billion
2021$37.1 billion
2022$36.9 billion

Let’s break that down by category and individual households. Last year, back-to-school shoppers spent:

  • $12.5 billion ($293 per household) on electronics or computer-related equipment
  • $11.3 billion ($264 per household) on clothing and accessories
  • $7.2 billion ($168 per household) on shoes
  • $6 billion ($140 per household) on actual school supplies

The average US household spent over $860 on back-to-school shopping in 2022.

YearBack-to-School Shopping Spend per US Household
2019$696.70
2020$789.49
2021$848.90
2022$864.35

Do back-to-school shoppers favor certain brands?

Nike is the top brand among US teenagers, followed by American Eagle, lululemon, Adidas, and H&M. 75% of parents say their children have a moderate to high influence on their back-to-school shopping purchases.

48% of shoppers say brand familiarity is likely to drive their purchase of a specific brand during the back-to-school shopping season. If a brand they’re seeking isn’t available, 50% of back-to-school shoppers say they’ll buy from a different brand at the same retailer. 34% say they’ll go to a different retailer to find the brand they’re looking for.

The majority (60%) of back-to-school shoppers say they visit 2-3 stores for back-to-school shopping, with 24% saying they visit 4-5 stores and 12% saying they visit more than 5 stores.

School supplies.

Tying It All Together: Ecommerce Back-to-School Shopping

Don’t let one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year pass you by – especially if you’re in the electronics industry or the apparel industry. If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out some of the exciting wins our clients in these industries have achieved:

When you need a strategy to help you drive important seasonal wins, passing things off to a digital marketing agency that you actually trust can be a daunting task. At ROI Revolution, our experts act like a dedicated extension of your internal team so that you don’t have to worry about achieving your business objectives. To explore the untapped opportunities we could discover for you, send a message to our team today.

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