Overview
School might be out, but Back-to-School (BTS) campaigns are in. With total spending projected to reach $85.42B, a 3.3% increase from last year, brands must cut through the noise to reach the right consumers at peak intent.1 While digital browsing is high, the heart of the season remains physical, creating a massive opportunity for brands to drive awareness, visitation, and sales at the shelf.
The When: The Summer Sprint
Capture intent before supplies lists hit the inbox. GroundTruth first-party data identifies the first two weekends of July and the last week of August as the highest traffic periods for big box, footwear, grocery, and department stores.
- July Kickoff: 67% of shoppers began purchasing by early July, the highest early-start rate since 2018.3
- Retail Events: 68% of shoppers plan lists around July sales like Amazon Prime Day (37%), Walmart Deals (34%), and Target Circle Week (25%).4
- Early-Bird Drivers: Over 50% of families are shopping earlier to avoid price hikes and capitalize on summer promotions.
The Where: Locations Fueling Spend
Digital platforms are the primary discovery engine for 2026, but physical retail remains the priority for final purchases, as K-12 parents spend an average of $501 per household at brick-and-mortar locations.2
- Social Commerce Influence: Nearly half of Millennial and 75% of Gen Z parents surveyed are expecting to use social media in their BTS journey. 2
- Top 2025 Destinations: Old Navy, Dillard’s, and Sunglass Hut led apparel and accessory foot traffic during the last BTS cycle.
- Hybrid View: Leverage the GroundTruth Web Engagement Pixel to bridge the gap between online browsing and real-world visits.
The Who: High-Value BTS Shoppers
From the budget-conscious Millennial to the trend-setting Gen Alpha, this year’s shopper is defined by value, influence, and intent.
- The Deal Hunter: Nearly all shoppers are using money-saving measures this year, with 57% utilizing coupons or promo codes.4
- Gen Alpha Students: 62% of parents say their children influence them to spend more, especially on first-day outfits and electronics.2
- Millennial Meal-Preppers: 51% of parents pack school meals daily, prioritizing healthy eating, organic ingredients, and meal prepping.4
Strategic Tactics & Channel Approach
Recommended Solutions
GroundTruth’s omnichannel approach ensures your message reaches high-action households across every screen, driving shoppers directly from digital research to your physical locations. Explore the some solutions below to see how our cross-channel offerings can benefit your back-to-school strategy.
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Location-Based Targeting | With most shoppers traveling an average of 2 to 5 miles to reach a store, leveraging Proximity or Geotargeting with Dynamic Distance Store Locator creatives is critical.5 |
| Behavioral Audiences | Layer mission-based behaviors to intercept high-value segments like Millennials, Deal Hunters, and Department Store Shoppers to ensure your messaging reaches high-action households. |
| Connected TV (CTV) | Utilize large-screen formats for maximum awareness during summer evenings when families are gathered together. |
| Audio | Reach the 69% of back-to-school shoppers who reported taking action after hearing a radio ad last year.6 |
Success in Action
A major shoe retailer utilized GroundTruth’s precision Mobile targeting during the back-to-school season to drive over 43k total visits to its locations. By layering Location Audience Targeting to reach Loyalists and high-indexing shoppers with Retail Block Targeting to engage consumers within the immediate vicinity of their stores, the brand delivered an impressive 25X Return on Ad Spend.
Interested in learning more?
Ready to get an A+ on your back-to-school strategy? Reach out to your GroundTruth representative or selfservehelp@groundtruth.com.
Sources: 1eMarketer, 2Deloitte, 3NRF, 4Numerator, 5GroundTruth Visitation Data, 6Audacy
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