That doesn't mean retailers should forego a digital shopping presence, however. That's because while these shoppers are buying primarily in-store, when it comes to finding deals, sales, and coupons, these shoppers are going digital.
Just how important is the BTS spend for merchants? Back to School accounts for about 20% of all non-holiday spending, with BTS retail spending growing faster than any other time of the year.
Researchers with Cardlytics also found that Amazon's Prime Day is a big precursor to the BTS spend, with Prime Day shoppers spending 3x more than non-Prime Day shoppers online during the week following Amazon's big sales event. They also found a correlation between Prime Day and BTS: overall back to school spending pulled ahead by about a month because of the Prime Day sales event.
Further, the report shows that online shoppers are filling their carts throughout the year, but only checking out during big sales events, and that merchants can build stronger loyalty by keeping their profile high throughout the year, not just during holiday or back-to-school sales events.
How can merchants make the most of Back To School and Prime Day spending?
o Tip: Following Prime Day, ecommerce merchants should target Prime Day shoppers heavily
o Tip: Brick-and-mortars should focus heavily on non-Prime Day shoppers during the week after Prime Day.
o Tip: Retailers should launch teaser campaigns to encourage back-to-school shoppers to get a head start on filling up their baskets.
o Tip: Strengthen brand loyalty by running post-back-to-school campaigns so consumers get into the habit of choosing your brand first.
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