The calendar is shifting to fall, and that means kids are heading off to school, adolescents are heading off to middle and high school and young adults are taking their first steps toward college. It also means marketers, particularly those in the snack food, retail and office supply categories, are gearing up for their busy times.
U.S. consumers are expected to spend just over $31 billion on back-to-school shopping for K-12 students, or approximately $586 per student, according to Deloitte’s 2024 Back-to-School Survey. That outlay is flat compared to previous years, as they cut back on spending on technology products (-11%) but will increase spending on items such as personal hygiene and educational furniture (+22%). Spending on school supplies and clothing will remain unchanged.
Mass merchants and online retailers will be the top destinations for back-to-school shopping, though the overall experience will include a mix, with parents indicating they plan to shop across 4.7 retail formats on average, up from 3.9 in 2023.
With retailers launching July sales promotions like Amazon’s Prime Days and Target’s Circle Week, many outlets and shoppers took those times as opportunities to begin preparing for the school year early. For its promotional week, Target offered 30% off backpacks and school uniforms, as well as deals on school supplies, dorm essentials and other items. Amazon earlier in the summer launched its back-to-school campaign with an ad featuring actress and comedian Michelle Buteau. She imparted the brand’s message of saving money by using the company’s back-to-school shopping guide. Walmart also highlighted its budget-friendliness, noting it had thousands of items in stock available for less than $10.
Urban Outfitters, meanwhile, used that same early July time frame to launch a new marketing campaign, “Shift Happens.” The campaign included a three-phase back-to-school initiative to reach Gen Z consumers through culturally relevant activations, campaign and creator partnerships and compelling products, according to the company.
Online fashion retailer Shein waited until August to launch its back-to-school effort featuring a brand partnership with reality star Jess Vestal and her daughter Autumn. The Shein x Jess Collection is a back-to-school line featuring 127 items ranging from school supplies to lunch gear to clothing. Befitting the brand, all items for the line are priced between 88 cents and $24.99.
JCPenney also highlighted its budget bona fides, announcing that it has more than 1,500 items available for the new school year that were under $20. The brand also announced several different sale periods during the summer and a partnership with gummy candy company Haribo on a line of candy-themed clothing. The “Goldbear Wear” (inspired by Hairbo’s Goldbears) includes colorful tees, sweaters, pants, shorts and accessories with graphics featuring the candy’s mascot and other iconic design elements.
Beyond the retailers, back-to-school also means a resurgence in childhood illnesses. Along with recommendations for getting updated COVID and flu vaccines, the makers of cleaning products are using the back-to-school period to remind parents to stock up.
Lysol, for instance, has launched the sixth year of its “Here for Healthy Schools” initiative, which includes donating Lysol Minilab Science Kits to Title 1 Schools. The kits include lesson plans and experiments for students on subjects such as “Germs in the Classroom” to help explain the whys behind healthy hygiene habits (that may or may not include Lysol disinfecting wipes). Kleenex, meanwhile, is teaming up with Jenna Bush Hager to award $100,000 in school supplies to one school through Donors Choose and award an additional 100 schools $4,000 in Donors Choose credits.
Back-to-school also means packed lunches and quick snacks, which means several companies are now rolling out fall marketing programs hoping to capture parents’ attention, often with a celebrity endorsement. Plant-based snack company Nature’s Bakery has teamed up with former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East to promote its “Back-to-School Squad,” which will surprise consumers at retailers nationwide with a month’s worth of snacks and $200 gift cards as they shop for school supplies.
Similarly, Kevin’s Natural Foods is partnering with actress Allyson Hannigan to provide free easy-to-prepare meals to five families for an entire year as part of its campaign to beat “Irritable Parent Syndrome.” “At Kevin’s, we understand the pressures of the busy back-to-school season, and we’re passionate about helping even the busiest of families with a quick meal solution that not only makes life easier but also brings families together over a healthy meal they can feel good about,” said Becky Graham, CMO at Kevin’s Natural Foods, in a statement.
Continuing the parental stress theme, Kind Snacks is launching a new Kind Kids line of snacks that will be backed by a national marketing campaign featuring 90s stars Kristin Cavallari and Tori Spelling. The humorous campaign plays off the duo’s “simpler” high school lives in the 90s compared with the stress of returning from break and getting kids ready for back to school now that they are parents.
Spicy snack brand Takis, however, is taking a different approach, partnering with recycling brand TerraCycle to challenge students, teachers and communities to recycle their Takis snack packaging with a chance to win prizes, including a garden bed, compost bin and planters, as Takis-branded school supplies.
Speaking of school supplies, the fall season may as well be the holidays for the makers of pens, pencils, tape and all things office-related. Bic has enlisted singer and songwriter Charlie Puth to promote its 4-color ballpoint pen in a campaign themed, “A pen for every side of you.” The retail, social and digital campaign also includes a sweepstakes that will enable four consumers to win a behind-the-scenes experience and a private concert with Puth in New York City in October.
Not to be outdone, Sharpie and Paper Mate announced a three-year $1 million partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of the brands’ “Let’s Get Creative” campaign that launched earlier this year. As part of the partnership, the brands will contribute $600,000 in monetary donations and $400,000 in products over three years to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support the organization’s arts programming.
