6 Tips for Hosting a Successful Back-to-School Sale

In the fall of 2021, 48 million students attended school in the U.S. (K-12). That’s a lot of potential back-to-school sale customers, but putting on a successful back-to-school sale isn’t as easy as listing your inventory on your website. Follow these tips to get the most out of your sale.

 

Plan Early, Start Early

According to the National Retail Federation, more than half of shoppers that planned to buy school supplies in 2023 started shopping by early July. Start planning early so you can make sure your inventory is stocked, organized, and digitally cataloged properly. Starting your sale early can give you a healthy jump on competitors.

 

Stock Up on Inventory

Check your local school district’s school supply requirements, and make sure you have those things in stock. For digital retailers, follow online chatter and be sure to stock up on the hottest items of the summer. 

 

Price Competitively

Many price-conscious parents and teachers will go wherever the best deal is, so keep your pricing competitive. Try offering discounts (especially to specific groups like teachers and school staff) and freebies (buy one get one free, spend X amount and get a free notebook, etc.) to close more sales. You can also offer bundle deals to increase order size.

 

Make Purchasing Easy

Make the purchasing process as simple as possible to encourage customers to purchase their orders immediately. This is especially important since there will be competitors undercutting prices to take advantage of the busy back-to-school season. Try suggesting repeat orders to save customers time and build loyalty. You should also make sure your store is mobile friendly so parents can order things while they’re watching a soccer practice or waiting to pick their kids up from school. 

 

 

Adjust Paid Ads

Make sure to adjust your budget and target audience for this busy season. Meet your customers where they are. Increase your spending temporarily on accounts and hashtags that parents follow to increase visibility for your sale. You might also advertise on websites that teachers visit often. Further to this, increase your focus on other social media strategies as well.

 

Utilize Social Media

Reach out to parent influencers on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach a larger parent audience. Target kids as well, as showing off your new products on platforms they use will increase demand. Teaming up with the right influencers will expand your reach and help you increase sales.

 

A perfect back-to-school sale can lead to large profits and return customers in the future. Take the time to execute your sale correctly to reap these benefits.