HOW CAN RETAILERS AND BRANDS TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF FEWER BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPERS THIS YEAR?

Building on a trend from last year, in 2014 there will be even fewer shoppers planning to shop for back-to-school products and promotions with 36% of reporting they will not shop for back-to-school this year, up 5% from 31% in 2013. With fewer shoppers to compete for, retailers and brands have to outperform the competition and focus their programs and promotions on the factors that shoppers care about most. Of course, the leading factor is finding the lowest price, but two other factors are growing in importance compared to last year: finding the highest-quality products and having fun while shopping. And these two factors are a bigger opportunity for retailers and brands to truly differentiate themselves and capture more traffic and sales.

To learn more, click here to download the latest issue of The Checkout including 2014 Back-to-School shopping trends, the growing importance of digital, and the difference in shopper behaviors across ethnic groups. Or click here to explore past issues of The Checkout.