Summer is here and school is right around the corner, but it’s never too early to plan for back-to-school. Just because the prospect of kids returning to school at the end of summer isn’t on your mind doesn’t mean parents aren’t thinking about it, and many like to get a jump on shopping for clothing, backpacks, notebooks, and more before the mad dash at the end of August.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), spending on back-to-school last year was set to increase by an estimated 10% from 2016, reaching over $83 million for K-12 and college combined. It will likely increase even more this year and you definitely want a piece of that pie.

What can you do to ensure that your business capitalizes on the vast amounts of money parents are spending on back-to-school necessities? Here are a few strategies to implement this year.

Start Early

As you can probably guess, spending on back-to-school supplies peaks in August, when about 40% of purchases occur. That said, 57% of parents and students will start shopping earlier, however, and those who do will spend 26% more on average than those who wait until August.

You have a real opportunity to get a jump on the competition and claim even more back-to-school revenue when you promote early, before many competitors are even thinking about back-to-school sales.

Get Social

Online shopping is obviously important in this day and age, and marketing and promoting in the online arena is a must, as is offering the same (or better) discounts and deals online as you have in-store. You also need to focus on social media efforts.

It turns out that 67% of parents report using social media to search for back-to-school promotions and 25% say what they find on social media influences purchasing decisions. In other words, you can’t afford to ignore the opportunities offered by marketing through social media channels.

Develop Apps

Marketing via online, mobile, and social channels is important, but perhaps even more essential is providing ways for shoppers to sign up for memberships and notifications, as well as make purchases. Many consumers already use apps like Retale and RetailMeNot to find deals, and you can get in on the action by teaming up with existing apps.

You can also develop your own apps to improve convenience, increase sales, and create a positive experience for shoppers, not just during the back-to-school shopping season, but all year round. This way, customers can receive notifications about promotions, access coupons and apply them to in-app purchases, or flash them in-store to receive discounts at the POS. Mobile is the way of the future, and embracing it now not only meets consumer expectations, but it could boost back-to-school sales.

If you are interested in purchasing any retail store supplies, shop our website, Specialty Store Services, for all your retail store needs.  If you have a question that you would like answered immediately, you can Live Chat, or phone us at 800-999-0771.