More Back-to-School Trends

In my last blog, five Back-to-School Trends for 2011 were presented from a recently-published article by Kathy Grannis, spokesperson for National Retail Federation.  Here are the other five trends to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in the retail world.

• Shopping will come down to “crunch time” this year which means last minute shopping.  Nearly one-third of shoppers are expected to delay shopping for K-12th grade students until one to two weeks before school starts, an increase from last year.  For retailers, this means moving merchandise around to different places to take advantage of the sales peaks when schools open at various times in different areas of the county.
• Most retailers will get a fair share of the action.  Discounters and department stores will be popular destinations, but it’s worth noting that people who shop in multiple channels (stores, websites and mobile applications) will spend 40% more.
• The company that “thinks outside the box” will prosper.  Creative thinking such as an auto service that provides free inspections for kids’ cars before they head back to school will bring in more business.
• Items other than the standard back-to-school needs will allow retailers to capture a greater share of the market.  Food, personal care items, re-loadable prepaid cards and gift cards are expected to be popular purchases for this school year.
• The older college kids are feeling the crunch, and will be “pulling back” on their needs.  Store brand goods and generic products will be high on the shopping list.
• Smartphone and tablets will be used increasingly in back-to-school shopping.  Many consumers will prefer to buy from their homes rather than going to a store, taking advantage of the ease of comparing products and prices.

So there it is – this year’s expected trends.  Are you ready to get your share of the market?  Let us show you how you can use CounterPoint’s many functions, such as CustomerConnect, to keep those customers coming back again and again.  For more information, call us at 800-672-4806 or email us.