Back To School Retail Survival Guide

The Back To School (BTS) and Back To College (BTC) shopping season is upon us. Second only to the Holiday season, BTS and BTC shopping offers retailers a great opportunity to increase their profits and their reputation of being the “go to” source for all things back to school or college. All too often however, retailers don’t order enough or the right kind of supplies, price them wisely or worse, fail to keep the items stocked and displayed attractively and logically.

According to a recent USAToday article, back-to-school shopping is no longer a frenzied one-day spending spree. Families are spending more, but they are doing so over a longer period of time as they search for the best deals. This means repeat business and could lead to additional spending provided they have a great experience the first time.

Families are expected to spend $670 on average on back-to-school shopping, up 5% from last year, according to the latest data from the National Retail Federation. That includes spending on school supplies, clothes and electronics. With cost conscious parents and students, and lots of in-store and online options to choose from, retailers need to make their in-store experience is one that consumers will rave about to their friends and families and return to, for additional shopping.

Here are some easy to implement in-store retail tips to help shoppers successfully score all their BTS/BTC supplies:

Designate a BTS/BTC space in your store and make sure you have bold and exciting signage that helps shoppers find what they need and helps create excitement as they visualize using or wearing new products.
If you plan on demoing new technology, branded solutions or you are promoting celebrity, sport teams/campus themed items – consider investing in Tensator’s Virtual Assistant next generation digital signage solution with the industry’s smallest footprint and watch the items fly off the shelves!
Make sure you stay on top of how merchandise is displayed; shelving should be accessible (items shouldn’t be placed too high or too low) and the right kind of items should be placed on the shelves so there is a logical flow to the display (see related Chain Store Age article on “Impulse Merchandising – and Why Selling a Toaster on the Checkout Line Won’t Fly”).
Make the best possible use of every square inch of retail space and use in-queue merchandising and impulse towers for point of sale must haves – from hygiene, safety, dorm or locker room items.
Ensure your checkout line is clearly defined using Tensabarriers®to help efficiently guide your customers on their way.

Creating a visually appealing, well stocked, and a service first in-store experience this BTS/BTC season will help increase your profits and ensure your customers return again and again. To explore any or all of these tips further please contact our customer journey specialists.