Retailers Prep for Back to School Season
Summer is finally heating up in the Northeast but The National Retail Federation (NRF) says that retailers are already focusing on back to school (BTS) products and promotions. The NRF released the following findings:
• Walmart and Target have started promoting BTS products in-store and online. Target was giving away $15 gift cards to those who spent $75 on select bedding for college-bound students. The store’s College Checklist is now online. Target also has a College Registry. Meanwhile, Walmart lets shoppers search by grade and shop for bundle items such as crayons, notebooks, and flash drives. The retailer also says that parents can shop for kids’ uniforms at Walmart.
• LL Bean was offering 25 percent off BTS backpacks even before the July 4th weekend and Macy’s was promoting #MacysBTS on Twitter.
• Apple announced its back-to-school promotion, which is a $100 gift card for any college student that purchases a Mac, and a $50 gift card for students who buy an iPhone or iPod.
• The NRF says that families are looking for deals earlier than in years past. Some families spread their spending over the summer in an effort to save money.
• The NRF survey conducted in June that showed 21 percent of those with children in elementary, middle, or high school plan to spend less overall than last year because of the current state of the economy. Three in 10 families will buy more store brand items. And, another 45 percent plan to shop for sales more often. One-third of families will use coupons more often while shopping for school-related items.
• As a result of this trend at retail, TTPM is now covering back to school products earlier this year. Here is what’s trending in BTS on TTPM.
Trending on TTPM: Construction Toys
TTPM is showcasing what’s trending in each specific product category. Today it’s Construction Toys. This trending list is determined by consumers. It’s the number of page views for that item in the previous 30 days and is updated every 24 hours.