58%
say the back-to-school season will be a
bigger deal for their
family this year.
56%
of shoppers are
looking forward to the coming school year more than they usually do.
Excitement for the shopping season
is at a high point among consumers
overall
Increase in investment YOY
77%
of senior retail leaders say they plan
to increase their marketing investment
for back-to-school campaigns and
sales promotions.
Retailers will be increasing back-to-school investments across the summer calendar
10 key takeaways
Follow along for our top for the back-to-school season and beyond.
After an unprecedented school year, the 2021 back-to-school season is shaping up to be pivotal as teachers and students head back to the classroom, and life heads back to normal. In fact, retailers are significantly more optimistic about the back-to-school season than they were last year—a whopping 89 percent are forecasting an increase in sales. So, how can brands make sure they are at the top of the class in Q3?
Key Insights for Winning Consumers in Q3
How to Ace Your
Back-to-School Strategy
ZMG PRESENTS
+20%
+48%
prime day
+48%
Labor day
Parents will open their wallets to
spend more—including on high-ticket
tech products
average anticipated spend
Most likely to be spent on:
clothes
protective items
school supplies
1 in 4
more on tech this year than they did last year.
are planning to spend
43%
39%
34%
Summer activities kick off spending earlier than usual
62%
of shoppers plan to do the majority of their back-to-school purchasing
in July or August.
75%
of senior marketers plan to start back-to-school promotions and sales in June or earlier.
Retailer optimism pushes promotions
and campaigns into Q2
are already actively shopping for current school and summer activities.
say that Prime Day is the most important time for driving online sales during the back-to-school season.
38%
84%
Key moments for increased back-to-school messaging and promotions:
Memorial Day Weekend
Prime Day
July 4th
Retailers shouldn’t sleep on in-store experiences—brick and mortar appeals
to parents
Top 5 reasons parents love in-store shopping:
5
47%
getting purchases immediately
42%
seeing/trying on items
34%
accessibility / convenience
33%
Enjoying the in-store shopping experience
31%
in-store only discounts
or promotions
But, online interest levels the omnichannel playing field
physical store
Where do you plan to do the majority of your back-to-school shopping?
online
52%
48%
Re-entry anxiety drives parents to find balance between shopping priorities
55%
Making sure my kids are
happy with what I purchase
Purchasing items that improve my children’s performance in school
41%
Being as efficient as I can with my budget
39%
Top
3
Priorities
Deals and promotions are a significant driver in purchase decisions for
U.S. shoppers
70%
find coupons or
promotions influential
find cash back offers
influential
61%
search for deals when
back-to-school shopping
95%
Deal-driven promotions and offers are highly influential for non-parents as well.
The Primed Consumer is more engaged, more demanding—but willing to spend more, too
ZMG Consumers plan to spend 70%
ZMG Consumers plan to spend 70% more on back-to-school shopping than the average American:
$2,263
Gen Pop - $1,333
More likely to:
Make price their highest priority
Shop for non-back to school items at the same time
Try new retailers and brands
Be influenced by buying guides and publisher reviews
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For more information on how to partner with ZMG to engage shoppers
across RetailMeNot, Offers.com, Mashable and PCMag.com, visit:
ziffmedia.com
Methodology
For press inquiries, contact us.
More than
double the
2020 spend
of $532
laptops
headphones /
headsets
tablets
smartphone / mobile phones
chromebooks
51%
49%
46%
37%
34%
education-focused camps/activities
The ZMG audience is primed and ready to shop early.
They are more likely to start in June or shop year-round.
25%
summer school
21%
tutoring
23%
will run their deepest discounts earlier.
39%
deals while shopping in stores making it the most used method for finding deals.
Half of parents
look for back-to-school
shopping interest during
this season.
growth in online
+55%
Nearly half (47%) say price is the biggest determining factor in what they buy during back-to-school shopping
Nearly half (47%)
Who is the Primed Consumer?
The primed consumer is someone who is actively looking to make a purchase - whether they know it or not.
ZMG combines the unique formula of Qualified Audience + Trusted Expertise + Massive Scale = Drives BIG Results
Who is the Primed Consumer?
How much money I will
have to spend
28%
Shopping safely given
COVID-19 health
concerns
30%
Getting everything I
need on time
30%
Stressors
3
Top
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Source 1: Ziff Media Group, Q2 Shopping Series Survey, Gen Pop, 2021. N = 1112 US Adults 18+. Data collected between April 9, 2021 - April 12, 2021.
Source 2: Ziff Media Group, Q2 Shopping Series Survey, ZMG Brands, 2021. N = 7989. US Adults 18+. Data collected between April 9, 2021 - April 16, 2021.
Source 3: Ziff Media Group, Q2 Retailer Survey fielded by Kelton Research, N = 200 senior marketing retailers, Data collected between April 15, 2021 - April 22, 2021.
