2016 Back-To-School Cheat Sheet for Marketers Infographic

2016 Back-To-School Cheat Sheet for Marketers Infographic

School’s out for summer, but we’re busy planning marketing strategies with our partners around the $68 billion back-to-school shopping season. No longer just school supplies, this shopping season involves every vertical—from clothing/apparel to consumer technology to entertainment—and also encompasses back-to-college, an increasingly important part of savvy marketers’ communication strategies.

To help marketers achieve success, Yahoo Advertising has created a Back-to-School cheat sheet summarizing top trends from a new study they conducted in partnership with Ipsos Connect, “Back-to-School/Back-to-College shoppers, April 2016”.

The average Back-to-School (BTS) and Back-to-College (BTC) shopper plans to spend 37% more in 2016 than they did in 2015 (an average of $343). Check out these new insights to help ace the upcoming Back-to-School season

Demand is Flat for Most Back-to-School Products

This may be due to increased demand for laptops and mobile devices, replacing the need for many analog products since 2014. Clothing and school supplies remain the two most popular categories.

Dads Shop Too

1-in-3 parents doing the BTS shopping are dads, who spend more ($391 vs. $283 for moms), and are more likely to be involved in electronics purchases (e.g. laptops, tablets).

Not Just Adults and Parents

Students under 18 years old spend an average of $273 per year on BTS supplies. One-in-two BTS shoppers shop for someone other than themselves or their own children (i.e. nieces and nephews).

Shopping Doesn’t Necessarily Stop When School Starts

Over 1-in-10 shoppers don't start purchasing until after school/college starts. Over two thirds of shoppers plan to take advantage of BTS promotions after school begins.

Online is Key, and is Growing for Purchasing

More shoppers have adopted hybrid online/offline purchasing habits over the past two years. Search is the top online BTS source. BTS online articles are used by over 50%, and online videos by 30% while researching.

Shoppers are Mobile

Over half of BTS shoppers use a mobile device during the process, and most (92%) find the mobile internet helpful in making these shopping decisions.

Shoppers are Becoming More Receptive to Online/Mobile Offers and Promotions

Over 3/4 of BTS shoppers actively seek promotions, most notably price discounts. Free shipping and digital coupons are up in popularity versus 2014. Interest in both online and mobile offers has increased.

Yahoo Users are More Receptive to Offers and Promotions

Yahoo users are significantly more open to online/mobile offers and promotions from retailers. They are also more likely to rely on online sources for researching and shopping for BTS.