The New Year is not the only time for new beginnings. In late August and early September, millions of elementary, high school, and college students, as well as their teachers, go back to the classroom. For you as a retailer, this end-of-summer ritual can translate into a major hike in profits and a way to grow your brand. Even so, it doesn’t happen without some planning and hard work on your part.
1. Identify your target customers and meet their needs.
As you prepare your behind-the-scenes strategy, it is vital that you understand your audience so that you can refine your campaigns to address their pain points and even exceed their expectations. One of the most effective ways to make this happen is to utilize online analytics tools as well as the shopping trends from previous years that have been stored in your point of sale system. Then take some time to personalize your product offerings to gel with the buyer priorities you have identified.
For instance, you know that all students will need to shop for supplies such as backpacks, notebooks, pens, and pencils. Be sure to offer a full selection of these types of products, but don’t stop there. Also look at your various customer segments in order to create separate bundles for each.
2. Choose the perfect products.
Most students will require notebooks, phone cases, water bottles, gym bags, and accessories. However, younger kids will also be particularly attracted to flashy add-ons like stickers and embroidered patches as well as drawstring bags and all-over print backpacks. By contrast, college-goers will be looking for dorm room gear: posters, prints, pillow cases, blankets, towels, shelving, and larger electronics. Teachers and professors will gravitate toward mugs, tote bags, laptops, and accessories. And everyone will be looking to update their clothing and footwear for the new school year.
Whenever possible, try to offer personalized options. This is in keeping with the current trend for the optimal, customized shopping experience. When you provide buyers with the opportunity to make what they buy uniquely theirs, you elevate customer trust and increase satisfaction and perceived quality. Moreover, happy shoppers are more likely to be inspired to post user-generated content on your and their social media pages.
3. Offer free shipping.
People are expected to spend more than ever on back-to-school shopping this year, but it’s not because they have more money. Many of their purchases are essential, and the prices are continuing to rise. As a business owner, you can offer free shipping to ease some of the pain of the economic struggles so many people are enduring.
4. Make shopping fun.
People might believe they have no choice but to shop for back-to-school needs, but they definitely have numerous online and brick-and-mortar stores from which to choose. Therefore, you need to do your best to rise above the competition. Try creating a spark by turning what is often a costly, unappealing task into a fun adventure.
- Offer giveaways and promo codes that result in lower prices and relevant deals.
- Engage your customers with fun contests that encourage interaction on your social media pages and incentivize people to buy in-store or online. Potential ideas include contests for the best photo or caption, favorite product, best product story, and trivia competitions. Also consider offering prizes or discounts to people who bring in the largest number of new customers.
- Build the excitement by creating a social media buzz weeks in advance. Then offer special flash sales and discounts that change every day to keep people coming back.
- Reward your loyal customers with members-only sales and discounts that make it worth their while to buy from your shop.
While social media is one of the most effective ways to inform present and future customers about your many exciting incentives and products, don’t forget about other tried-and-true marketing methods. The merchant account company that provides your payment processing for retailers services and equipment can give you tips on how to make the most of your point of sale system’s database tools. These will enable you to create personalized emails and newsletters that will inspire people to visit your physical or virtual store.
5. Keep the excitement going.
Although it won’t be long before everyone returns to the classroom, you can grow your brand and create a buzz about your merchandise for weeks and even months to come by continuing to engage your customers. Here are just a few ideas that will keep your store on buyers’ radar even after they have begun to hit the books.
- Encourage them to share pictures of their first day of school. One lucky winner could get a prize for showing off one of your products.
- Ask people to show their favorite classroom or dorm decorations.
- Include coupons with each purchase good for the next month to spur repeat sales.
Anything you can do to bring your brand to the forefront in order to provide essential, fun, and even innovative products will go a long way toward setting your company above the rest at this important time of year.
In many respects, the back-to-school season is just as important as the New Year. When you provide your customers with the items they need at a price they can afford and do so in a fun and creative way, you can transform a routine necessity into a fun way for buyers to express themselves while getting the merchandise they require.
